There's No Place Like Home
by summerdaze87
Summary: Elizabeth Webber, Lulu Spencer, and Robin Scorpio are about to find out that there really is no place like home... Liason, Lillon, and Scrubs...
1. Chapter 1

General Hospital Fan Fiction:

Liason, Scrubs, D & L

Genre: Romance/Drama

"There's No Place Like Home"

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me- I just alter their lives now and then to create storylines I think work better- or that I just like more.

--Chapter One--

--Kelly's--

Elizabeth Webber had never felt like she belonged in her family and now she finally knew why- she wasn't a Webber. Not biologically- and, apparently, that mattered to them. Forget the fact that they had raised her, helped shape her into the person she was today. She gaped at Sarah- the beautiful blond, blue-eyed perfect daughter her parents had always loved. Elizabeth had always thought they were just playing favorites- and they had been. There was just more to it than she'd ever thought.

Well, she thought to herself, you asked- you wanted to know why they've barely spoken to you in the ten years you've been here. You wanted to know why they don't want anything to do with Cameron. Now you know. She wanted to scream and shout and cry- but that wouldn't do her any good. It wouldn't give her the rest of the answers she wanted now- answers to questions that hadn't been there five minutes ago, before Sarah had told her that ten years ago, Jeff had discovered his and Amanda's second daughter had been switched with another baby when she'd been born and had died shortly thereafter. Jeff and Amanda had cut all ties with Elizabeth and urged her siblings to do the same. Steven had, for a long time, but he'd eventually come around when he'd started working at GH. He'd claimed not to know their parents' reasons for practically ceasing to acknowledge her existence, despite the fact that that they'd made it clear to both him and Sarah that they wanted their other children to stop talking to her, too. Had he been lying? She hated to think that, but… She wasn't sure what to think right now.

"Did they at least find out who… Do they knew who ended-up with their daughter?" Elizabeth asked, hoping to find out the names of her biological parents.

Sarah hesitated and bit her lip- she knew she'd pretty much screwed-up her relationship with Liz years ago, and she didn't have any hopes of being able to fix it, but she felt like she owed her this much, at least. Still… She wasn't sure how Liz was going to take this… "Noah and Madeline Drake," she finally replied. She knew from her brother Steven that Noah and his son Patrick both worked at General Hospital with Elizabeth.

"But that… Noah's never said anything… about having another… child… and Patrick… he n-never mentioned having a sis-sister- for any length of time," Elizabeth stammered. It was hard to think, let alone speak- or breathe, for that matter. She thought about asking Sarah about Steven and whether or not he knew, but decided there was no way she wanted to go there.

Sarah just shrugged and replied, "Why would Noah talk about a baby that never really got to live- besides, I doubt Patrick even remembers. He was like two when you were born, Liz." She bit her lip and glanced down at her watch. "Look… I, uh, have to go… I…"

Elizabeth nodded and watched Sarah stroll out of Kelly's. Seconds later, her boyfriend Jason Morgan walked in. She still couldn't believe she and Jason were together. They'd been dating a few months, since after he'd found out that his ex-fiancée Sam had cheated on him with a man he hated. He'd seen Sam and Ric together on Sam's mother's couch- it was no secret that Jason didn't really care much for Alexis Davis, but he'd been sickened by the fact that Sam had slept with her step-father. He'd gone back to his penthouse to get drunk and ease the pain, and Elizabeth had shown up- needing to talk about having walked in on her now-ex-husband Lucky Spencer and his boss's daughter in their bed. It had started out as two friends needing comfort from one another, and ended-up being… more.

It seemed that, no matter what, she and Jason always came back to each other. Generally, it was their friendship that pulled them toward one another, but there had always been more there. They'd sort of tried the couple thing before, but it hadn't worked- they were older and, hopefully, smarter now. They knew more about what it would take to make their relationship work.

Which was good, Elizabeth thought, since she'd discovered she was carrying Jason's baby. They'd talked about marriage a little- they knew they loved each other, but neither of them wanted to rush into anything and get hurt again, so they'd agreed to take it slow. She knew that Jason would want to get married when he found out about the baby- that was just the type of guy he was- but he'd respect her decision if she said she wasn't quite ready for that yet. The thing was, she was ready.

The corners of Jason's mouth tipped up in a smile when he spotted Elizabeth Webber sitting at what had become "their" table at Kelly's, waiting for him. She'd called him from work and said she wanted to meet him for lunch, that she had some good news she wanted to share. "Hey, Beth," Jason greeted her with the nickname only he used, leaning over to kiss her quickly on the lips- keeping in mind the fact that they were in a public place, but not being able to stop himself from doing at least that- and then taking the seat across from her. Her hands rested on the tabletop, and he took them in his without even thinking about it. What did cross his mind, however, was how much he loved her. He'd loved her for years, but the timing had always been off. It had taken him a while to realize that his relationships with both Sam and Courtney had just been about finding a substitute for her to fill the hole she'd left in his heart when she'd left years ago, but once he had… Well, things had just worked out very nicely after that.

"What are you smiling about?" Elizabeth asked, a grin curving her own lips.

"You- you're here. We're here. Finally, after all these years," he said with a shrug. "It's just that… We hurt each other, and there were days it seemed like we could never get past that," he continued, "but… Somehow, it just… worked this time, and I'm glad- more than glad," he corrected with a grin. "So, I'm smiling."

Elizabeth chuckled at that, and Jason prodded, "So, you had some good news you wanted to share?"

"I have good news and some… interesting news, I guess would be the way to put it."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Would this "interesting news" have anything to do with Sarah? She ran out of here so quick that she ran right into me."

She nodded and asked, "Which do you want first?"

"Let's go with… the good news," he said with a smile, wondering what she could have to tell him.

She let go of his right hand long enough to pull a picture out of her purse and hand it to him. He stared at the fuzzy black and white photo- he wasn't very good with photos anyway, but this one really had him confused. He couldn't make anything in it out. He raised his head and looked at her, trying to find a clue in her expression. "Uh…" He cleared his throat. "What's this?"

The grin widened. "Our baby's first picture." The words came out in a happy little giggle that distracted Jason for a moment- he loved it when she laughed like that- before her words sunk in.

"Our baby's…" A smile broke out on his face as it finally hit him. He was up out of his chair in less than a second, and he picked her up and spun her around in circles, drawing the attention of the only other person in the place at the time, Mike. "Beth's pregnant, Mike!" Jason exclaimed, eliciting more shrieks of laughter from Elizabeth, and Mike laughed at the couple's enthusiasm.

Mike came over and slapped Jason on the back. "Congratulations," he told Jason and Elizabeth with a smile. He'd observed both Elizabeth and Jason in several relationships over the years, including Jason's marriage to his daughter, but he had to admit that he'd never seen either of them as happy as when they were together. "This calls for a celebration- chocolate cake on the house," he said as he walked away to retrieve the aforementioned chocolate cake- it had been a favorite of Elizabeth's when she'd been pregnant with her son.

Jason finally set Elizabeth back down and they both took their seats- neither one of them could wipe their matching goofy grins off their faces, though. "So, what's the 'interesting' news?" Jason asked.

"Well… Do you remember when Lucky was accusing me of having an affair with Patrick Drake, and we both kept insisting that we were just friends?" she asked. Jason nodded, sure this was headed in an intriguing direction. "Well, Patrick laughed it off and said that I was more like a sister to him than anything… He just didn't know… Well, he's right- not Lucky," she hastened to clarify, though Jason didn't need it because he'd never doubted Elizabeth's relationship with Patrick was anything other than she'd said, "but Patrick."

The odd comment puzzled Jason for a moment or two before the meaning of the implication dawned on him. "You're Patrick's sister? How is that…" He shook his head in confusion. "How is that possible?"

"Mattie and Noah had another baby about two years after Patrick was born apparently, and Mattie and Amanda Webber both delivered their babies the same night in the same hospital- and the babies got mixed-up. The Webbers ended-up with Noah and Mattie Drake's dark-haired, dark-eyed daughter, and the Drakes ended-up with the Webbers' daughter- who apparently died not long after."

Jason just shook his head some more. "That's amazing," he said. "Are you… I mean, I know you're relationship with Jeff and Amanda hasn't really been… well, it hasn't existed since you moved here ten years ago… So, are you okay with this turn of events? With Noah being your father and Patrick being your brother?" Wow… Now that was weird, he thought.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah, you know, it's weird, but I am- I'm happy. I never really felt like I belonged in the Webber family, you know? And Patrick and Noah and I… we get along, you know? And it's like Patrick said- we have the brother-sister relationship now." She laughed. "I can't wait to see the look on Patrick and Noah's faces when I tell them," she said. "I hope they'll be just as happy as I am."

Jason smiled and told her that he hoped so, too. They ate the chocolate cake Mike brought them and Elizabeth declared that she had to get back to work at the hospital. "I'll see you at home," Jason said, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

"Okay," she replied, still grinning- Jason wondered if the grin would ever disappear, and he hoped that it didn't. He loved seeing her so happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, no, as much as I love the show- and despite the fact that I have been a loyal fan most of my life- I don't actually own it or any of it's characters…

--Chapter Two--

--General Hospital--

Elizabeth stepped out of the elevator on the fifth floor of General Hospital and went straight to the Nurse's Station. "Epiphany," she began as the ostentatious but endearing woman walked by, "do you know where Noah and Patrick are?"

Without looking up from the file she was reading, Epiphany answered, "Cafeteria." Her stern gaze collided with Liz's as she raised her head. "I don't want to see any drama," she told the young nurse, who gave a nod before stepping over to catch another elevator. Epiphany shook her head in a combination of amusement and dismay- she knew good and well there would be drama.

When Elizabeth reached the cafeteria, she easily spotted both Drakes. For a moment, she just stared at the pair, thinking how amazing it was that they were her family. She was a Drake, the thought with a proud smile- and she had every reason to be proud of both Noah and Patrick. They were both brilliant doctors who loved what they did. And, despite the fact that he'd rather not show anyone his true feelings, he'd been there for her when she'd had problems with Lucky- he was a really good listener, and he always made her feel like it was okay to talk to him. He was exactly the kind of big brother she'd always wished for. And Noah... Since he'd gotten the transplant from Patrick, he'd really begun to change- he wanted to make up the past ten years to Patrick, though no one was sure that was really possible. He wanted to be a part of his son's life- he loved him. And that, she thought, is exactly the type of dad I've always wanted- one that would love me unconditionally, as Noah did Patrick. Before she could let her thoughts wander too much farther, Patrick glanced up and noticed her.

A grin spread across his face and he waved her over. "Hey, Izzy, come join us."

Izzy, Liz thought with a grin, was Patrick's own interpretation of her name. He'd been using the nickname on her since he'd started work there. She noticed the look that crossed Noah's face when Patrick called out to her- it was the same sad look he got every time his son called her Izzy, and Elizabeth had always wondered why that was- she'd thought about asking, but the look never lasted more than a few fleeting seconds before Noah managed to hide it. Now she thought she might finally have the answer.

"Hey, guys," she greeted, pasting a smile on her face. Panic was beginning to set in now- what if Noah and Patrick weren't happy about this? She bit her lip- she really didn't want to think about being rejected by another family. "Can we… That is, I need to talk to you two, and I was wondering if we could go somewhere more… private," she informed them, not wanting to have this particular conversation in a room full of gossip-loving nurses and doctors.

After sharing a concerned look with his son, Noah shrugged and stood. No words were necessary- there were certain people in their lives that they would always be there for, no questions asked- Elizabeth, Bobbie, Robin. Granted, Patrick and Robin fought like there was no tomorrow most of the time, but Robin knew that Patrick was there for her when she needed to talk- just like Robin was there for Patrick. The same went for Noah- he loved Robin and was glad that she had come into both his and Patrick's lives- he was thankful everyday that she'd helped him and Patrick begin to make amends- though, both father and son knew that there was a long way to go. At least they both knew that the things they said and did were out of love for one another.

He and Patrick both picked up the remnants of their lunch and tossed them in the nearby trashcan. The three went to the on-call room down the hallway and, after Noah closed the door, Elizabeth began to pace.

Patrick slumped onto the bed and waited for her to speak while Noah leaned against the door. Finally, she turned to Noah and asked in a gentle voice, "Why do you get that sad look in your eyes when Patrick calls me Izzy, Noah?"

Noah, clearly startled, started to deny the accusation and Elizabeth held up her hand to silence him before he could even speak. "Is it because of your daughter?"

The question, so softly spoken, surprised Patrick beyond measure and he was suddenly very glad he'd been sitting when she'd asked it. Looking toward his father, he could plainly see that Noah wished he'd been sitting, as well. Patrick knew very little about his deceased baby sister- only that he'd supposedly been very excited about being a big brother and that his sister had died before he'd ever had the chance to meet her.

"How… How do you…?" Noah let the question trail off- he couldn't speak past the lump of emotion clogging his throat. Elizabeth was right- it was because of his daughter, but he'd never spoken to anyone at the hospital about that time- not even Bobbie Spencer knew, and he considered her to be a very good friend. So how did Elizabeth know?

Elizabeth began pacing again and Patrick and Noah shared another look- this one of confusion. "Uh… Izzy?" Patrick started, trying to get her attention- it sort of worked.

"You know that I've never felt like I belonged in the Webber family," she said, this time looking at Patrick, who nodded. He did know that- it was something they'd talked about and it had led to him unofficially adopting her as his sister and telling her that she would always belong in the Drake family. "Especially," she continued, "since they've all pretty much cut all ties to me since I moved her ten years ago- well, I mean, with the exception of Gram and Steven, both of whom seem genuinely interested in my life. But my par- Jeff and Amanda and Sarah… Well, things between us have never really been easy, and our relationship just deteriorated when I moved out here."

Patrick nodded, trying to keep up with her and not get too dizzy watching her pace. He knew that there were things she was leaving out- like how her relationship with Sarah had ultimately ended when she'd found Lucky and Sarah together in bed, but he didn't say anything as he waited for her to continue.

"Sarah's in Port Charles- well, I mean, she was- she's probably already on a plane back to Baltimore right now, but she was here earlier and called and asked me to meet her at Kelly's. She said that she really needed to talk to me, and I… well, I couldn't say no, so I went. And she…" Elizabeth drew a deep breath. "She told me why the Webbers had stopped talking to me- why they… why they don't care," she said, surprised that, though she was having difficulty explaining the situation, she no longer felt the pain that usually came with the admission that Jeff and Amanda Webber didn't seem to care.

Patrick raised an eyebrow but remained silent, and Noah seemed to be finding his composure once again. Still, neither spoke as they waited for Elizabeth to tell them how she'd known about the baby and how that related to her relationship with the Webber family.

Liz came to a stop in front of Noah and smiled, her eyes filled with tears of happiness and hope. "Your daughter and their daughter… They were born in the same hospital on the same night," she told him, fighting not to let the tears spill over. "There was a mix-up and… you ended up with the real Elizabeth Webber, while they ended up with your daughter." There, she'd said it- she hoped they would be happy. Please, please let them be happy, she silently prayed.

Patrick, who had started to stand when she'd started talking about how both babies had been born in the same hospital, promptly fell back down on the bed when she made that statement. He was floored- and he could tell from the look on his father's face that Noah was, too.

"You…" Noah began but, once again, wasn't able to finish the sentence. He slowly raised his hand to Elizabeth's cheek and ran his knuckles tenderly down the side of her face while staring into her eyes and reading the truth there. It had been there all along, he thought- he'd known from the beginning that she was his daughter. He couldn't say how or why he'd known- he'd just… known. "When you laugh, I hear Mattie," he told her, his voice rough with emotion. "When you smile a certain way, I see Mattie." He raised the other hand so that he now held her face tenderly between his large hands. "You're so compassionate, so loving… I…" He shook his head, looking for the words to tell her how he felt right then- to be given the miracle of having his daughter back; to have another piece of Mattie to cherish and love.

"There have been so many moments when you and Patrick are bickering when I've looked up and almost said, "Patrick, stop picking on your sister," because it was just so _right_. I can see Mattie in you- I can see me- and I…" He broke off and tears rolled down his cheeks. "I thought it was just wishful thinking, you know? But I would know my baby girl anywhere- just like I'd know Patrick anywhere or you'd know Cam anywhere." He pulled her into a bear-hug, thinking he was never, ever going to let her go again.

He felt her tears seeping through his lab-coat and scrubs and tee-shirt, and stepped back just enough to brush them from her face. He took her hand and led her to the bed so she could sit beside Patrick. He just stood there for a moment- taking in the long-awaited sight of his son and daughter, side-by-side, identical "is-this-real?" looks on their faces. "The first time I heard you call her Izzy," he told Patrick, "I was coming around the corner and my heart stopped. It was the day you "adopted" her and you were telling her," he had to stop for a moment and clear his throat before continuing, "that as far as you were concerned, she was a Drake- she was your little sister, and you'd always love her and take care of her." He smiled, remembering that day. "Those were words I've heard out of your mouth before- while your mother was pregnant with her. You'd crawl up next to your mom and pat her stomach and talk to the baby. You told her how happy you were that you were going to be a big brother and that you were always going to love her and take care of her," he finished on a laugh. "From the moment we named her, every time you saw your mom you'd go, "Hi, Mommy! Hi, Izzy!" and you'd kiss your mom's stomach."

"Izzy…" Patrick said, trying to remember a time when he'd known his sister's name. For a moment, he thought he wasn't going to- he'd been much too young. But he remembered being about five one time and visiting the grave of his little sister. "Isabel Elizabeth Drake," he muttered, remembering the name on the tiny little headstone for the tiny little baby.

Noah nodded. "Yes- Isabel Elizabeth Drake," he said. Liz gasped and took Patrick's hand in hers. "You picked Isabel, you know," he told Patrick. "Mattie and I were throwing names out there one day, and you heard that one and shouted, "Isabel! Isabel! The baby's name is Isabel!" And Mattie and I laughed and agreed, but as far as you were concerned, from that moment on she was Izzy- more specifically, she was _your_ Izzy."

Patrick squeezed Elizabeth's hand and tears filled his own eyes. "I- I can't believe it," he whispered, thinking about all the times he'd wished his sister had lived. He'd thought so many times about the things he would have taught her. He'd thought about how he would have beaten up any guy that had ever dared to break her heart, or interrogated all the guys she'd dated. "You're really my sister," he told her, looking over at Elizabeth and giving her a genuine smile. He had only been this happy once before- at least since his mother's death… The day he'd given Robin the serum and known she was going to be okay…

She nodded and Patrick laughed. "You know, I am really glad Robin dragged us here," he told Noah, who raised an eyebrow in question at the remark. With a devilish grin on his face, Patrick added, "You've got to love the fact that no one seems to stay dead around here," causing both Liz and Noah to join in the laughter.

When they all had tears streaming down their faces from laughing so hard, Liz spoke again, "I have one more surprise for the two of you."

Noah clutched his chest dramatically and claimed, "I'm not sure I can handle another one!" The statement began another- shorter- round of laughing.

"Go on, Izzy," Patrick encouraged his sister- his sister! It seemed like it should take longer than that for him to accept the fact that Elizabeth Webber was his sister, but it just seemed so right. He knew that this was real- his sister was really alive and home at last.

"I'm pregnant!" she declared and both Noah and Patrick smiled. "You're going to have two grandchildren," she told Noah.

"Well, at least someone's going to give me grandkids," Noah told her with a laugh. "I can't wait to spoil this little one and Cam rotten," he added.

"And then we'll hand them back over to you and Jason when they start getting crabby," Patrick put in with a grin, earning him a teasing smack on the arm from Elizabeth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own it…

**A/N: **Well, this story is just moving right on along, isn't it? I swear, I sit down with one little sentence in my head and before I know it, the chapter's done. It's practically writing itself, LOL... I'm glad it's going so well. This is only my second fanfic- and the first one is pretty well stalled because of writer's block, hehe- so I am really happy that I'm turning out chapter after chapter here and, of course, that you guys are enjoying it so much. R & R, okay? I love reading your reviews- they make me so happy, and my heart does this little flip-flop when I see that people actually like my work! Enjoy!

--Chapter 3--

Port Charles International Airport

Lulu Spencer stepped into the breezeway connecting her flight from London, England, to Gate C-6 of the Port Charles International Airport and collected the stroller waiting for her by the door. Her one-month-old daughter, Lauren Delilah Spencer, slept peacefully in her carseat as Lulu attached the carrier to the stroller and wheeled the stroller out into the terminal. Lauren- named after Lulu's mother Laura and Lila Quartermaine- had spent her first month of life in London, where Lulu had gone to live shortly after deciding she couldn't go through with her planned abortion after all. She'd been at the clinic when she'd made the decision and had left for England straight from there- as far as she knew, no one was aware that she had given birth to a beautiful baby girl.

She collected hers and Laurie's, as her daughter had been nicknamed, bags and stepped outside to the curb to catch a taxi. She'd really only gone to London to think and figure some things out, but she'd had a difficult pregnancy and been forbidden to travel by her doctor. So, she'd stayed and, though she'd picked-up the phone a thousand times to call Dillon or Tracy or anyone in Port Charles, she'd been too terrified. She didn't know how they were going to react to her return or Laurie, but she figured she'd find out the answer to that soon enough. Once she'd given the driver the address of the Quartermaine mansion- no further details were necessary, as it was a well-known place- she pulled her cell phone from Laurie's diaper bag and dialed the mansion's number.

"Quartermaine residence," Alice answered, much to Lulu's delight- she loved the overbearing maid.

"Hello, Alice," she greeted, and was rewarded with an audible gasp.

"Miss Lulu? Is that you? Where are you?"

In the background, Lulu heard a voice call out, "Lu's on the phone? Give me that," and instantly recognized it as Dillon's.

"Lulu! Where are you? Where have you been? Why'd you just-"

"Whoa, calm down there, film-boy," Lulu chuckled as she gave Laurie her finger to hold. "I'm fine- I'm heading to the mansion as we speak, actually. Uh, Dillon?" She bit her lip as she readied herself to tell him that she had a surprise for him.

"Thank God," Dillon muttered under his breath before asking, "Yeah?"

"I… Well, I have a surprise for you. I hope you'll be glad, but… Well, I understand if you're not. Anyway, I don't want to tell you about it over the phone, okay? We'll- I'll," she hastily corrected, hoping Dillon hadn't noticed the slip, "be at the house in about fifteen minutes, okay?" With that, she flipped the top on her cell phone and ended the call. She looked down at her daughter, who seemed to be avidly watching her mother- probably, Lulu thought wryly, wondering what the heck Mommy is getting her into now. Oh, well- too late to turn back now.

Dillon stared at the phone- now making an annoying beeping sound signaling the end of the call- in disbelief. Lulu was coming home- correction, Lulu was home. She was in Port Charles. She was coming back to the mansion- had she said, "we"? That didn't make any sense… No, he must have heard her wrong. He let out a sigh of relief as he thought about seeing the woman he'd realized he was in love with- after all, she had given him eight months to think about that rather daunting idea. And the reality was, no matter what Lulu had done- and no matter what she might do in the future, because he was pretty sure she hadn't changed that much since she'd taken off to parts unknown- he was in love with her, and that wasn't going to change. Oh, he was sure she'd test that love to the limits- probably to the point where he'd want to walk away and be done with it- because that was how Lulu was. But he wouldn't walk away, no matter how tempted he might be.

His mother, accompanied by Lulu's father, came down the steps- naturally, the two were bickering. "Now, Spanky, I really don't know why you're so-" Luke swallowed whatever defense he'd been about to make to his wife as he caught sight of Dillon. "And just what has put that goofy grin on your face, young Spielberg?" he questioned the young man.

However, it was Alice who answered- drawing Luke's attention to the matching goofy grin on the maid's face. "Miss Lulu's coming home!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Luke and lifting him a good three feet off the ground.

"What? Alice, put me down!" Luke demanded, trying to comprehend what he'd just been told. His daughter had taken a page from his book and disappeared without a trace several months ago- worrying him sick, naturally, and finally making him see just what his "adventures" did to the people he loved.

"Lulu's coming home?" This from a disbelieving Tracy as she arched an eyebrow in her son's direction, seeking clarification.

With a sharp nod, Dillon replied, "She's on her way from the airport- said she'd be here in about fifteen minutes." Glancing at his watch, he noted that left about ten now.

Luke's broke out in a grin at the thought of strangling his run-away daughter for the worry she'd put him through these last several months. He, of all people, should have been able to find her- and, he thought to himself, he probably would have if it weren't for the simple fact that she was his daughter and at least as clever as he was.

Several minutes later, Edward Quartermaine, patriarch of the psychotic bunch, waltzed into the foyer from the den, bellowing, "Alice! Where's my lunch?" He shot a glare in Luke's direction and muttered, "Tracy, haven't you come to your senses and divorced that… that… thing yet?"

"Now, Eddie, don't be so harsh on Spanky, here- you know there aren't many men who'd love her enough to put up with this dysfunctional mess you people call family," Luke replied with a wolfish grin, making Edward wish he had something to throw at him.

Luke and Tracy had, naturally, resumed their argument seconds after Dillon had made his announcement- much to Dillon's dismay. He hadn't been paying any attention to them, really, but he could really go for some peace and quiet to think about the short conversation he'd had with Lulu. His grandfather's presence wasn't doing much good, either, though it had stopped the arguing- at least, it had stopped Luke and Tracy's fighting. It looked like dear old Grandfather was about to start up an argument with Luke. At that particularly gruesome thought, Dillon decided he preferred his mother and step-father's bickering.

He was saved from having to interfere and try to break-up the dispute before it started when a knock sounded on the door. He rushed to pull it open, but Alice beat him to the task. "Miss Lulu- oh, my goodness! Isn't she just the cutest little thing?"

At the maid's confusing greeting, Luke, Dillon, Edward, and Tracy all fought to peer around her and at Lulu- who stood on the doorstep, her hands resting on the handle of navy blue stroller, and a bright-eyed baby girl with a patch of fluffy blonde hair waved her arms up in the air from the carrier attached to it.

"Lesley Lu Spencer, is that a baby?" Luke asked in a horrified tone.

Lulu pushed the stroller past the crowd gathered around the door and stopped in front of Dillon. With a worried look in her beautiful eyes, Lulu released the straps holding the baby securely in the carseat and cradled her in her arms. "Dillon, I'd like you to meet Lauren Delilah Spencer." She drew a deep breath and added in a softer voice, "Your- our- daughter."

At the declaration, Dillon and Luke both promptly fell to the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Okay- let's review: I didn't own it a chapter ago; I didn't own it the chapter before that- or even the chapter before that. Now, I'm not a math whiz, but even I know that the chances of owning General Hospital or its characters is… ZIP- as in, ZERO! I don't own it!

**A/N: **I am so thrilled with the response I am getting to this story! I'm just so happy that you guys are enjoying this story! Thank you so much- and keep sending the reviews! Even if it's something bad because it will help improve my writing! Enjoy!

--Chapter Four--  
--Quartermaine Mansion--

Alright, so that wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting, Lulu thought to herself with a smirk- but, really, it was pretty funny. Dillon- once he'd recovered from both the shock of meeting his daughter and the pounding headache he was bound to have after hitting the floor- would appreciate the dramatic moment and find some film or another to associate it with. She glanced over at her father and chuckled to herself- the great and mighty Luke Spencer, shocked into fainting by a little tiny baby.

"Uh, Alice?" she piped up after a moment, motioning with her free hand to the two men now decorating the floor. "Could you maybe move them to the-" she frowned, trying to think of the name for the room across from where she stood and finally just shook her head in defeat. "Could you move them in there?" She pointed to the room and pushed the stroller into it while Alice slung "Mister Dillon" over her shoulder and carried him into the room before unceremoniously dumping him on the couch. Seconds later, she returned- this time with "Mister Luke" hanging not-so-gracefully over her shoulder. She set him on the couch beside Dillon- a little more gently.

Lulu contemplated getting the two men something for their headaches, but decided against it- she didn't want them choking on pills or water. That would definitely not be good. So, she gathered her courage and faced Tracy and Edward Quartermaine. She figured Edward wouldn't be too hard- she'd just remind him that the precious baby girl in her arms was his great-granddaughter- the ice surrounding his heart would have no choice but to melt with that reminder. Tracy… Well, Tracy wouldn't be so easy, of that she was sure.

"I must say, it shouldn't have surprised me that you just up and left like you did, considering who your father is," Tracy began, trying to hold onto the thread that was her control at the moment. "But really, Lulu- couldn't you have at least told Dillon that you had decided to keep _his child_?" The last two words came out as an irritated bark, which would have sent just about anyone running for safety. Lulu Spencer, however, was definitely not "anyone."

Straightening her spine and preparing to do battle with the step-monster, Lulu started, "Look, Tracy, I know I should have called-"

"You shouldn't have left in the first place!" Tracy exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and glaring at her step-daughter.

"Ugh… I hear screaming," Dillon muttered as he came to on the couch- as war had been launched behind him and Luke, he didn't see either Lulu or his mother at the time.

The baby, sensing the tension in the room, started to fuss and Edward, in typical Edward-fashion, placed his hands on his hips and declared in his don't-you-dare-argue-with-me voice, "Tracy! Stop harping on Lulu- you are upsetting my great-granddaughter!"

Luke groaned in pain and grumbled, "Sounds more like nails on a chalkboard to me," partly just to get a rise out of either Edward or Tracy- either one would do.

"Luke," Tracy warned, causing Luke to smile gleefully- he'd succeeded. When he turned to face his wife, he noticed the glare she was currently attempting to level him with. At that, he winced and decided he might have succeeded just a little too well- clearly Spanky wasn't in the mood to fight, at least, not with him.

Dillon, too, turned to face his mother- and Lulu. "It wasn't a dream," he said, his tone somewhere between disbelief and awe. When that thought finally set in, he stood quickly, nearly stumbling back into the coffee table in his haste. "Lulu," he began quietly, speaking as he would to a child, and trying to hold onto his patience, "would you care to explain?" You love her, Quartermaine- just remember that. You knew she was going to test you… Dillon wanted to laugh at that particular thought- this was one hell of a test, alright.

Thankful for the chance to explain- and that she hadn't been tossed out on her butt by the raging step-monster- Lulu gave Dillon a tiny smile of gratitude before beginning. "I got to the clinic and sat there for a while, waiting for them to call my name- and, by the time the nurse did, I had realized that I couldn't go through with it." She looked down at her daughter, who had her head nestled in the crook of Lulu's neck, her trusting hazel eyes locked on her mother. Lulu felt a tug at her heart as she held her baby girl just a little bit tighter. "I- I needed to get away- needed to think. So I left- but I didn't plan to stay gone as long as I did. Just a few days or maybe a couple of weeks… I don't know…" She started walking, knowing that Laurie was happier with the movement. "But then I had some… complications… and the doctor said that I had a high-risk pregnancy and that I couldn't travel. I was put on bed-rest when I was six months pregnant after I started going into really premature labor."

She focused her gaze on Dillon once more- her fear at being rejected once again and the love she had for him both crystal clear teary gaze. "I tried, Dillon- I tried to call you so many times, but I…" She broke off as her emotions she couldn't name clogged her throat and made it nearly impossible to speak. She swallowed several times, feeling like she was drowning and fighting for air. "I was so afraid that you had managed to work everything out with Georgie and wouldn't want the baby anymore… That you'd be relieved not to have to deal with everything and…"

Tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her face. Laurie fussed, picking up on her mother's discomfort. Luke and Tracy both opened their mouths to speak at the same time, but snapped them shut when Dillon raised a hand to silence them. He slowly walked around the couch, stopping only a foot or so away from Lulu and the baby- his baby. He still couldn't believe it. Lulu hadn't gone through with the abortion- and his daughter was safe and secure in her mother's arms. Another moment passed- it could have been seconds or minutes, Dillon didn't really know- and he closed the distance, wrapping his arms around both Lulu and Laurie and placing a tender kiss on his daughter's forehead and a kiss every bit as loving to Lulu's temple.

"I love you, Lu- it may have taken me a while to finally realize it, but I had it figured out before you called today," he said, wanting to assure her that it wasn't just something he was saying because she was standing there, holding their daughter in her arms. "I know it's not always going to be easy, and I know there will be days when we make each other's lives hell- but I will always love you." His words were whispered, so that only she could hear them.

Lulu relaxed in his arms, finally feeling as though she could breathe again. "I love you, too, Dillon," she whispered back, her voice filled with her love for him.

Dillon raised his head and his determined gaze met first his grandfather's, then Luke's, and then his mother's before he stated clearly and for all of them to hear, "Stop glaring, stop staring, and get over here and welcome the love of my life and our child home."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Hey, guess what! I still don't own GH!!

**A/N:** Wow, I can't believe I am already on chapter five!!! This is so cool! BTW, this takes place after the whole "I love you" episode with Patrick and Robin- they are together, though they haven't moved in yet. Just thought I would mention that. Fair warning here- this chapter made _me_ cry (although, so did the chapter where Liz told Noah and Patrick). It's what some of you might call "fluff" and what I call "what-I-wish-would-actually-happen-on-the-darned-show." For the record, after everything Robin's been through with her parents and how much she's grown even in this past year alone, I just couldn't see her responding to this news any differently. I hope you all like- and keep the reviews coming:-P

--Chapter Five--

--Port Charles General Hospital--

Robin Scorpio's mind categorically went through the list of things she had to do when she got off work today- which, she thought with a little smile, would be in about two hours. She wanted to call MetroCourt and make sure her "sister's" room was ready- she knew Carly was probably going to throw a fit over having Brenda Barrett in her hotel, but that just made Robin even happier about Brenda's return. She hadn't seen her best friend in a few years, and it was going to be really awesome having Brenda around again.

She also had to go grocery shopping- she wasn't sure whose turn it was, but there was pretty much no food in the apartment she shared with fellow doctors Laney Winters and Kelly Lee. Not that she spent a whole lot of time there- she spent most of her time with Patrick. Since she'd helped him find an apartment- okay, maybe she hadn't exactly _helped _him find it, so much as pushed him into getting it- she was spending a lot of time helping him get it furnished and… habitable. She hoped she hadn't pushed him too hard- she just wanted what was best for him and for him to be happy. She wasn't sure he saw it that way, though…

Sighing, she brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes- somehow, the lock had escaped the elastic band she'd pulled her hair up into several hours ago. She walked up to the Nurse's Station to get updates on her patients just as Patrick, Noah, and Elizabeth stepped off the elevator- they were all smiling and laughing and looking… happy. Genuinely happy, which made Robin think back to a time when, just a few months ago, they'd all had sour expressions and short tempers. It was good to see these people whom she cared about so content with life once again.

She greeted the trio with a smile. "Hey, guys! What's got you all in such a great mood?" she asked, taking note of the fact it looked like they had all been crying recently. Hmm, she thought- that's interesting… Maybe they were just laughing that hard, she told herself, brushing off the wave of concern she felt at the idea that something could be wrong with them- or anyone in their lives. They all looked way too happy for anything to be seriously wrong, which was a good thing.

Patrick's gaze moved from his father to Robin and he gave her his trademark cocky grin. "Hey, Robin," he greeted, planting a quick kiss on her lips- he was tempted to deepen the kiss, but was sure Epiphany was lurking behind something, just waiting to smack him upside the head and give him a lecture about proper behavior between doctors and other staff members in a hospital- and Epiphany's wrath was never pretty.

"Elizabeth?" Noah asked, filling Liz's name with an entirely different question. He was really asking if it was okay to tell Robin that Elizabeth was his daughter. Truthfully, he wanted to shout it to the world, but he'd be happy just telling his friends and… oh, say, the rest of Port Charles.

When Liz gave him a sweet smile- the smile that most reminded him of Mattie- and a quick little nod, Noah turned to Robin and said, "Robin, why don't you come sit down for a moment- Patrick, Elizabeth, and I have something we would really like for you to hear." He motioned for the waiting area several feet away.

Curious and intrigued, Robin submitted to Noah's request and the little group made their way to the area. They each took a seat- Noah was pleased to see Patrick seated between Robin and Elizabeth. He took a moment to imprint the sight into his memory- he never wanted to forget this moment. This, he thought to himself, was his family- he knew that Robin and Patrick loved each other and was sure that one day the two would be married. When he was sure he had every little detail right in his head, he began to speak.

"Robin, when Patrick was about two, Mattie and I found out we were going to have another child. We were all so excited about the baby- even Patrick. He was so happy he was going to be a big brother," Noah told Robin, noticing the way that Robin's hand sought Patrick's- she knew that, since neither Patrick nor Noah had ever spoken about the baby, something must have happened and wanted to offer Patrick whatever comfort she could so many years later. That was one of the things Noah loved about Robin- the way she seemed to want to protect Patrick from pain and heal his wounds.

"And then our baby girl was born- Mattie and I were so proud and couldn't wait for Patrick to meet the sister he'd so anxiously waited for. Before he ever got the chance, though, we were told that our daughter had died." He glanced at Elizabeth, and Robin caught the tenderness that filled his gaze before he looked back to her and continued. "As it turns out, Jeff and Amanda Webber's daughter, Elizabeth," he nodded in Liz's direction for emphasis, "was born in the same hospital on the same day."

Robin took a deep breath and held it, waiting hopefully for Noah to tell her that, somehow, this story had a happy ending. It seemed so improbable, but the way he and Patrick and Elizabeth kept looking at each other… Was it possible? If her parents had come back from the dead, then couldn't his and Mattie's baby? She found herself enthralled by the possibility and silently begged for the words she most wanted to hear right then.

"Jeff and Amanda found out that Elizabeth wasn't their biological daughter ten years ago- which is why they cut-off all communication with her," Noah said, angry with the people that had raised his daughter for being so heartless- after all, they _had_ raised her. It shouldn't have been that easy for them to forget they had another daughter, but it seemed to him that's exactly what the snobbish Webbers had done. "And today, Sarah Webber told Elizabeth why."

Robin felt like a little kid again, listening to one of her dad's stories and waiting for the ending. Patrick and Noah deserved the peace that having that little girl back- even all grown-up- would bring them, and she liked Elizabeth. She was a sweet, kind-hearted young woman who loved people with all she had in her. She would be a welcome addition to the Drake family, Robin was sure.

"Elizabeth is Izzy- mine and Mattie's daughter, Patrick's little sister," Noah said with a smile that reached his eyes and a small chuckle of joy he was helpless to contain.

Izzy, Robin thought, immediately thinking about Patrick's nickname for Elizabeth- that explained the look of longing he got when Patrick used the nickname. Robin hadn't noticed until Elizabeth had asked her about it one day, but after that, it had seemed impossible to miss. But, like Elizabeth, that was one thing she had never pushed Noah on.

Robin let out a small cry of joy, glad that things had, in fact, turned out so well. She turned to Patrick, who was smiling just as broadly as his father. "I am so sorry that you had to go through that," she told him, her eyes reflecting her love for him, "but I am so glad that you have your sister back."

Patrick nodded, pleased beyond words that Robin was taking this so well. He knew that Robin and Elizabeth got along. The relationship, he knew, had formed out of both women's incredible capacity for love- despite the walls they had both built around their hearts- and had been strengthened when Robin's ex-boyfriend and now relatively good friend Jason Morgan had told her that he was in love with Elizabeth. Robin- who had returned to Port Charles after a ten-year absence to save Jason's life- had been thrilled by the news that Jason had managed to open his heart again and find happiness. That moment had served as a sort of bridge for Robin and Jason, and they'd started to move beyond the past and the pain.

Robin rose and hugged first Patrick and then Noah. "You and Patrick helped convince me to give my dad another chance to be my dad," she told Noah, a tender smile gracing her lips, "and I have watched you and Patrick make the same decision about each other. I'm glad that you two have Elizabeth, now, too."

With that, she turned to her friend and embraced her as well. "And I am so glad that you finally have the family you deserve- the over-bearing and obnoxious but well-meaning big brother and the father that will love you no matter what and always want only the best for you- and that Cameron and any children you and Jason may have together will have the uncle and grandfather they deserve."

Both Elizabeth and Robin had tears in their eyes when they pulled away from each other- neither seeming to notice that Noah and Patrick's eyes held a suspicious glistening to theirs, as well, because Robin's eyes had gone wide as she'd felt the barely noticeable bump on Elizabeth's stomach when she'd hugged her. "Are you-?" The question didn't need to be finished because Elizabeth nodded and said, "Uh-huh," which led to even more hugging and crying and some laughing between the young doctor and nurse.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Are you kidding me? We all know the answer to this…

**A/N: **Okay, yes, Brenda actually has a place in this story; I didn't just throw her in. Brenda knows Robin better than Robin sometimes, and she's always been one to call someone on their stupidity. She's really going to come into play to help her "little sister" realize some things about the various relationships she's got going on in her life… So, this is just kind of a quick little fluff thing about Brenda's return… The next chapter will have more detail and will probably be Robin and Brenda catching up- or, rather, Brenda dragging Robin's true feelings out of her. Brenda's pretty much going to play matchmaker here and help Robin sort through some problems… It's not very long, but it is a necessary chapter in my little story here, I promise! Hope you enjoy!

--Chapter Six--

--Port Charles General Hospital--

Brenda Barrett walked into Port Charles General Hospital with a huge smile on her face and immediately slipped into an elevator, barely containing her excitement at finally being able to see her best friend Robin Scorpio- whom, in her eyes, was more a sister than anything else. The feeling, she knew, was mutual. She couldn't wait to see her- she had so much to tell Robin, and she knew that Robin had just as much to tell her.

After her last… visit… to Port Charles, Brenda had decided that she would never, under any circumstances, return again and, if it weren't for the fact that she was sure both Robin and her boyfriend Patrick Drake needed a good dose of reality, she would have kept that vow. But she was terrified that Robin was going to pull a stupid stunt and jeopardize her relationship with Patrick. She knew her best friend was falling fast and hard for the playboy doctor, and that scared the hell out of Robin. Though she hadn't actually come out and said it, Brenda knew Robin was just waiting for an excuse to run for the hills.

She sighed as the heavy elevator doors slid open seamlessly and she stepped out. She turned to survey the area and was instantly greeted by the sight of her favorite doctor happily hugging Elizabeth Webber- close by were two men who shared notable physical similarities. From the description she'd weaseled out of Robin months ago, she surmised that the rather rakish-looking one had to be none other than Patrick Drake- the man who's ego, according to Robin, was even bigger than Sonny's. Brenda had scoffed at that- no one had a bigger ego than her ex-fiancé, mob-king Sonny Corinthos himself.

Robin caught a whiff of what had to be insanely expensive perfume as she released Elizabeth and, knowing that insanely expensive definitely wasn't Liz's style, she turned, mentally preparing herself to do battle with Carly once again. Her scowl of irritation was quickly replaced by a smile so huge that Patrick, still standing nearby, was actually certain reached her eyes. He'd never seen Robin smile like that and was more than curious as to who the petite brunette that had such an effect on his girlfriend was.

"Bren!" Robin squealed, launching herself at the woman she'd claimed as a sister long ago. "What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow! I still have to call MetroCourt and make sure Carly hasn't canceled your reservations out of spite and-"

"Rob! Chill!" Brenda exclaimed through the fit of laughter that had claimed her halfway through Robin's little rant. "Can't I surprise my little sister?"

Patrick and Noah's jaws both dropped open, clearly stunned by the woman's declaration. Other than their height, the two women didn't appear to have anything in common, physically speaking. Neither of them had ever heard a single reference from anyone about Robin having a sister.

Elizabeth, barely managing to control her laughter at the confused looks her brother and father- she still couldn't believe _that_ was real, but she loved that she finally had a _real_ family- were shooting in Robin and Brenda's direction, quietly filled them in. "Brenda and Robin are _like_ sisters- they aren't really. They've been best friends for years and years, though."

Recognition finally dawned on Patrick's face- this, apparently, was none other than the infamous Brenda Barrett, world-famous super-model. He recovered from his shock quickly- Brenda certainly wasn't as big a surprise as finding out his sister was alive and, in fact, a very good friend of his, but she was still… well, a surprise and he wasn't sure how many more of those he was going to be able to handle for a while. "Robin, you didn't tell me Brenda was coming to town," Patrick said with his charming and oh-so-arrogant grin as he stepped forward.

Brenda, knowing that her friend would see that as an accusation, spoke up before Robin could do any damage with a smart-aleck remark. "I asked her not to tell anyone, you know, for the sake of making one of my grand entrances," she told Patrick with a smile. Robin's description had been pretty perfect, she thought- just like the man himself. Not that Brenda was in the market- nope, she'd sworn off men. Okay, well, at least the men in Port Charles, anyway- they just got her into trouble. But she definitely thought Patrick was perfect for Robin- which was why she'd returned to her own personal land of nightmares and horrors, willing to face her worst enemies and past loves to make sure that her dear little sister didn't screw up her chance at happiness.

Robin rolled her eyes but refrained from picking a fight with Patrick- the truly sad part was that she knew that's why Brenda had spoken up. The little brat had always been able to read her like a book. She was about to make a comment about how Brenda loved to make an entrance, but Brenda's voice once again interrupted her train of thought.

"Well, I'm so happy to finally meet you- I'm assuming you're the pig-headed jerk that has had Robin's temper boiling for the last several months, Dr. Patrick Drake, right?" Brenda spoke quickly enough to make Patrick dizzy, and continued without taking a breath or giving him- or Robin- a chance to respond to her comment. "Which would make that," she pointed at Noah, "your father, am I right? And, of course, I know Elizabeth- great to see you again, hon. Well, it's certainly been a pleasure meeting both of you, Dr. Drake and Dr. Drake, but I'm going to have to steal my little sis here for a bit, if you don't mind, alright? We've got a lot of catching up to do, so see you later!"

With that, she grabbed Robin's arm and dragged her to the elevator, despite Robin's growl of, "Brenda, I'm still working!" Brenda simply shrugged and babbled about Robin being insane and getting to the MetroCourt and dealing with Carly- neither Patrick nor Noah was quite sure what the brunette was saying or how Robin understood, and Elizabeth just chuckled softly behind them.

"And that, gentlemen, is Brenda Barrett," she told Noah and Patrick with a knowing smirk. The looks on their faces were priceless- but, then, Brenda had a tendency to put that totally baffled look on people's faces the first, oh, dozen or so times she met anyone. She was certainly a whirlwind of energy.

Noah just stood there, looking like he'd been hit on the head with a frying pan or something, for a moment more before shaking his head and saying, "I wonder how long Hurricane Brenda's going to be around," and walking off, mumbling something about having a patient to see.

Patrick was still trying to figure out what all Brenda had said when she'd been standing in front of him not five minutes ago- how the hell did Robin understand that crazy little brunette. He was suddenly very glad that Brenda had _not _been there when he'd first arrived in Port Charles- her energy level was frighteningly high, and he probably would have run screaming for the largest bottle of aspirin he could get his hands on. He'd spent less than two minutes in her presence and, yet, he could feel a pounding headache coming on. Granted, he was sure part of that was because he'd made a huge mistake and attempted to follow her rambling speech, but still… He shook his head and decided that, if he ever had to see Brenda Barrett again, he was going to just smile and nod- and think about anything but what she was saying, because he'd never have a clue.

"Is she always that… intense?" he asked his sister, pressing two fingers to his temples, glaring when Elizabeth burst out laughing.

"That, my dear brother, was nothing- trust me," she said, patting Patrick on the shoulder before walking off, still laughing hysterically.

Patrick smiled at the "dear brother" remark, but frowned when the rest of her sentence registered. "She has to be kidding me," he muttered to himself before walking up to the Nurse's Station and leafing through the charts until he found one of his patients.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Please see previous six chapters!

**A/N: **Some Jason/Liz/Cam interaction- the next chapter will be more about Jason and Liz, I promise- this is just sort of to tie things together.

--Chapter Seven--

--Jason and Elizabeth's Penthouse Apartment--

Elizabeth entered the apartment she and Cameron shared with Jason, giggling like a giddy schoolgirl. After Brenda's surprising return to Port Charles had left both Drake men staggering around for a gigantic bottle of aspirin, she had gone about her work. She'd chatted happily with patients, doctors, and other nurses- she was pretty sure she'd even made Epiphany smile, though she was certain the nosy and entirely too stubborn woman would never admit it.

"Jase! Cam! You guys home?" she called out, though she had already asked the guards if Jason was home. It had been his turn to pick Cam up from daycare today. It never ceased to amaze her that she and Jason could so easily fall back into a routine- even if it was a completely different routine than before. She wanted to be a part of Jason's life and make things easier for him in any way she could, and Jason was the same, so they naturally tended to do things that helped each other out- granted, both fought the other's help quite frequently, but she knew that Jason just wanted her happy, and Jason knew that's all she really wanted for him, too.

"Mommy!" Two-year-old Cam screeched as he came "flying" down the stairs in Jason's arms. The little boy had his arms out to his sides as though they were the wings of an airplane and an innocent grin of pure happiness that seemed to only grace the faces of small children was plastered on his cherubic little face. "Daddy, Mommy's home!"

It still made Elizabeth's heart jump every time she heard her little boy call Jason his daddy- he didn't remember the hell that Lucky had put them both through so many months before and she was thankful that her son was once again in a stable and loving environment. She and Lucky had finally reached the place where they could both be civil to one another, though she wasn't sure they would ever be friends again. But she'd moved on- found a way to get past the hurt and start again with Jason.

Jason- the man that had always been her rock. The man that had shown her the wind. The man that had rescued her and protected her so many times. The man that truly loved her, without question. He accepted her as she was and had no wish to change her- he simply loved her. And she, in turn, loved him the same way. The man standing before her in his wonderfully familiar attire of blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and black motorcycle boots and holding the little boy he had accepted as his own and loved as his own- that man was a part of her past, her present, and her future. He'd been her best friend for so long- the person she could go to with anything without fear because she knew that he wouldn't judge her or place blame on her or find fault with her- he would simply hold her and listen to her and help her in any way that he could.

Jason instantly recognized the look in his girlfriend's eyes- he knew she was thinking about him and all that they had gone through. Her eyes would glaze over a little, but not enough to hide the glint of happiness. There were traces of sadness and pain, but joy and love were most prominent. He smiled in return as he waited for her to acknowledge his and Cam's presence- he knew it wouldn't take long; it never did. But he liked seeing that look in her eyes- it reminded him of everything that had led them to this point and served as proof to him that, no matter what, he and Elizabeth Imogene Webber would be able to make it through anything as long as they had each other.

"Hello, there, handsome," Liz cried as she kissed the top of her son's curly head before standing on tip-toe to kiss Jason as well. "How was your day?" she asked Cam, knowing she'd get a much more specific explanation out of the little bundle of energy that was her son than she would out of her boyfriend, who had never been terribly comfortable with long conversations.

As Cam launched into a highly detailed list of the numerous activities in which he had participated at daycare. His mother listened intently to her babbling toddler as she moved about the apartment, mindlessly stacking books here or putting Cam's toys in the toy box kept against the wall by the pool table. She commented on some of his remarks as she picked up the books scattered about his bedroom floor- the apartment had four bedrooms and Jason had helped her decorate one of the rooms for Cam with minimal amounts of good-natured complaining.

When the two came back downstairs, they found Jason sitting on the sofa, dinner on the coffee table. Cam was thrilled to see the chicken nuggets on his plate- they were one of his favorite things to eat. They also had some mashed potatoes and green beans- and, while the vegetable had never been one of Cam's favorites before, the simple fact that Jason ate them was enough to get him to do so, as well.

"Cam, Mommy has something to tell you, okay?" Elizabeth said, sitting down between Cam and Jason on the floor around the coffee table. Jason knew what she was going to say and smiled, taking it as a sign that things had gone well today- he'd wanted to ask earlier, but hadn't had the chance with Cam's recap of his day. He knew he would get the details after dinner, so he wasn't concerned- he was just glad to know that things had worked out.

"Otay, Mommy," the little boy said, biting into one of his chicken nuggets.

"How would you like to meet Mommy's daddy and big brother- your uncle Patrick and Grandpa Noah?" she asked with the same goofy grin she'd had on her face after her talk with Noah and Patrick earlier that day.

Cam was too young to understand what all had taken place in the course of the day and, for that, Elizabeth and Jason were both grateful. He'd heard about both Noah and Patrick before, so the names weren't completely unfamiliar to him. He didn't question the his mother's idea, simply replied with a lopsided little grin that she knew he'd picked up from Jason and exuberantly exclaimed, "Yeah!"

The little family continued to eat their dinner and, when they were done, Elizabeth and Jason both stood to clear the dishes. The battle of who got to do dishes was one usually won by Elizabeth, since Jason usually cooked because he was almost always home before she herself was. Tonight, however, Jason simply quirked an eyebrow and pointed at her still-flat stomach. Under normal circumstances, she would have argued and told him something like, "I'm pregnant, not an invalid," but she knew Jason's concern was coming from the previous miscarriages she'd suffered. He was going to be even more over-protective than usual, and that was something she could handle- to a degree, of course- because this was about more than just her independence. It was about his concern for the safety of both the woman he loved and their unborn child.

So, she nodded her agreement and gave him one of her we-will-talk-about-how-far-I-am-going-to-let-you-carry-this-caveman-thing-later looks, making him smile and shake his head a little as he walked off into the kitchen with the dishes. She and Cam made their way up the stairs, where she gave Cam a bath. Once he was in his pajamas and had brushed his tiny little teeth with the tiny little toothbrush that always looked so adorable sitting next to hers and Jason's larger ones, she led him into his room where Jason was already waiting with a book about Italy- it was a book that Jason had given her years ago and one she'd been reading to Cam since he was a baby. She clearly remembered the mixture of emotions that had crossed Jason's face the first time Cam had pulled the book off of the bookshelf in his room and handed it to him to read. He'd been so surprised- in a good way, though. She'd seen the happiness in his baby blue eyes as he'd read about the faraway country she'd always dreamed of visiting to the little boy that had so quickly burrowed his way into his heart.

Jason lifted a now very sleepy Cam up and put him in the car-shaped bed he loved the tyke loved so much and lovingly tucked him in before he began to read. Not ten minutes later, Jason's soothing voice had lulled Cam into a peaceful sleep and both Jason and Elizabeth tenderly kissed the little boy's forehead and wished him sweet dreams before silently exiting the room, turning out the light and turning on the little nightlight and pulling the door most of the way closed before they crept back downstairs.

"So, things went well with Patrick and Noah, I see," Jason said with his signature smirk as he sat down on the sofa and pulled Elizabeth onto his lap.

Elizabeth nodded and wrapped one arm around Jason's neck as she told him how she'd explained about Sarah and the Webbers to her father and brother and told them that she was really the daughter of Mattie and Noah Drake. She told him how they'd all cried and laughed together and teased one another. She told him about the look that had always crossed Noah's face before when Patrick had called her Izzy- and why that was- and about how, the rest of the day, the look had been replaced by one of pure joy and love each time Noah had heard Patrick use it. Finally, out of breath and with tears of happiness once again filling her eyes, she sat quietly, waiting for Jason's response.

"I'm glad things worked out so well, Beth" he told her, sincerely thankful that the Drake men were so happy with the news.

"The amazing thing is," Elizabeth told him, "that things didn't really change- there's always been a connection between Patrick and I, from the moment we met, and he and Noah have both made me feel like a real part of their family, you know? It's just… now we know why that connection is there and not to take it for granted."

Jason nodded, fully understanding what she was saying. He'd witnessed how they interacted together- Patrick and Elizabeth together often reminded him of the bickering siblings they really were. Patrick had warned Jason about hurting his "little sister" and told him to take care of her when he and Elizabeth had gotten together, and Jason had respected him for caring so much about Elizabeth's well-being and had said as much.

"Anything else happen today?" he asked, figuring he'd hear about a patient or two she'd taken a liking to, or even one that had irritated her. She was always full of amusing stories about Epiphany putting one of the nurses or doctors in their place- which, apparently, happened on a daily basis. He wasn't surprised- he'd met the woman on a few occasions, but it had only taken about a minute before he'd decided he didn't want her for an enemy.

When Elizabeth worriedly tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, he knew she was going to say something he didn't want to hear. He patiently waited for her to speak again, knowing that she'd tell him when she was ready. "Brenda's back."

Two little words- that was it. Just two little words- but those two little words were enough to have Jason throwing his head back on the couch and groaning as though he were in serious agony. Not only did he dislike Brenda a great deal- and the feeling, he knew, was completely mutual- but his mind immediately brought forth images of past Carly vs. Brenda moments.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **If I owned GH, I would so not be sitting in my room working on this- I would be hanging out with all of my GH friends!

**A/N: **Things are kind of going crazy around here, so I may not get all of the chapters I have written out typed up as quickly as I would like, but I will update daily- I need the time it takes to type the chapter and upload it and read a few stories on FF; it's like air. It calms me down from my crazy, crazy life, LOL…

--Chapter 8--

--Jason and Elizabeth's Penthouse Apartment--

Great, Jason thought- his psychotic ex-wife was back in town. Oh, boy, he thought, thinking about Carly and Jax's engagement. He had the sudden urge to bang his head on a wall, repeatedly. "She doesn't know about Jax and Carly, does she?" It was a rhetorical question, really, and Liz knew it- if Brenda knew about it, she would have already been to see Carly and, if that had happened, he would know about it.

Elizabeth watched Jason carefully, knowing he was mentally preparing himself for another huge Brenda/Carly battle. He had never cared for Brenda, though he… tolerated her… to an extent, at least, for Sonny and Robin. Two people that meant so much to him, Elizabeth thought as she waited for Jason to finish processing. Brenda and Robin were best friends- he knew that and he accepted it because, in the past few year, he and Robin had managed to repair their broken friendship; it was the same reason Robin had stopped telling him to watch out because Carly was nothing but trouble. He knew she hated Carly, but as long as Carly and Robin left each other alone, things were generally alright. Sure, he got caught in the crossfire every now and then when the two did cross paths, but he was thankful to have found a recent ally in Carly/Robin feuds- when Carly and Robin started bickering, Patrick had a tendency to just pick Robin up and carry her away, or at least drag her away. Elizabeth thought about the first time Jason had witnessed a furious Patrick throwing Robin over his shoulder and carting her off to keep her from getting into a cat-fight with Carly- he'd been absolutely astonished, but there had been this little tiny smile on his face that he hadn't been able to hide- he'd known then and there that Robin Scorpio's heart was in some serious trouble. He'd also realized that he trusted Patrick not to hurt his friend.

"Brenda and Carly are going to kill each other," Jason mumbled under his breath, the sentence coming out in the same tone someone would utter a string off curses.

Elizabeth chuckled softly, thinking he probably wasn't too far from the truth- those two _really_ hated each other. "Maybe- but Robin and Carly hate each other, and they've managed to restrain themselves from committing acts of homicide so far," she pointed out.

"And all of Port Charles knows why," Jason told her, his head still thrown resting on the back of the couch. The fact that both women knew how much he valued both of them was the only thing that kept them as civil as they had ever been to one another- of course, Sonny's soft-spot for Robin, helped, too.

Liz nodded, unable to argue that point- after all, she herself had just been thinking along the same lines. "True…" she admitted, albeit hesitantly. She didn't want Jason to worry about another fight between Carly and Brenda- she knew he would get drawn into the fight, no matter how hard he fought to stay out of it. They'd drag him into it.

"And who do you think Carly hates more?" Jason posed the question, knowing that his best friend despised both Brenda and Robin- but he was pretty sure he knew who she disliked more…

"Brenda," Elizabeth answered, knowing that the fact that, in addition to everything with Sonny and Jax, Jason didn't like her only made Carly hate the other woman more. It was like it gave Carly the justification she sought to go after her- she wouldn't let Sonny's feelings stand in her way, not with the way she'd been going on and on about asserting her independence from him lately, and she was pretty sure she wouldn't let Jax's stand in her way, either- though, Jax might be able to keep Carly from actually physically harming Brenda.

Jason shook his head once more, trying to clear the thoughts from his mind- he knew he was going to be working overtime trying to put out fires between the three women since he was pretty sure Robin would get involved, too. She might hold back some when it was just her and Carly, but if Carly went after Brenda… Jason knew how close Robin and Brenda were, though he'd never understand it. They considered themselves to be sisters, and they'd always back each other up. Trying to put the impeding future aside for the time being, he raised his head and looked Elizabeth in the eyes.

"So, are we doing something with Patrick and Noah tomorrow?" he asked, thinking about how she'd asked Cam if the little boy wanted to meet her father and brother.

Elizabeth nodded, sensing that he no longer wanted to talk about- or even think about- Carly and Brenda. "Dinner at MetroCourt," she told him, catching the slight wince he gave- MetroCourt meant he was thinking about Carly, which led to thoughts of Brenda, which led to thoughts of screaming women pulling each other's hair. "You don't have to go, hon," she told him sincerely- there would be plenty of other opportunities for them all to do things together.

Jason shook his head- he knew what Liz was thinking; he'd always been able to read her like a book, but he knew this was important to her. "Your dad and brother want to announce it to the world that you're a part of their family, and this is their way of doing that- and I know you're looking forward to having your whole family together for the occasion," he said, his voice reverent. "I'll be there- after all, I am part of your family, aren't I?" The question was posed as a joke because he knew that she loved him and that he was just as much her family as Cam or Noah or Patrick.

Elizabeth smiled- it was a special smile, one she rarely gave. It was the smile that had first made his heart stop so many years ago at Jake's and the one that she reserved for only him. She knew that he'd meant it to be a joke, to lighten the mood, but she wanted him to know how much he'd taught her over the years about family. "When my family cast me aside- you were there. When Lucky traded me in for Sarah- you were there. You were there when I found him with Maxie. You've been there for me every time I've needed a shoulder to cry on or a sympathetic ear. When I thought I was unlovable, you proved me wrong. When I thought no one wanted me, you showed me that you always would. That's what family does, Jason- you showed me that. That's what friends and family do- and that's the type of family I want for our children," she told him, her voice barely more than a whisper. Her gaze had locked with his at the beginning of her little speech and had not wavered through it.

Jason nodded- it was the only way he knew to tell her that she had shown him the same things. He thought of the rebellious teenager he'd met years ago, the heartbroken young girl she'd been, and smiled at the thought of how much she'd changed- and yet, through it all, the essence of who she was had remained the same. She was Elizabeth- sometimes quirky, sometimes temperamental, always willing to lend a hand, smart, beautiful both inside and out, caring, generous, and so much more- and, for whatever reason, she loved him. She'd forgiven him just as he'd forgiven her, and they'd made peace with their past and learned from their mistakes.

No more words were spoken as Jason and Elizabeth sat together on the couch- Elizabeth still sitting on Jason's lap, one of her arms around his neck and her hand softly playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, while her other hand had become linked with one of Jason's and was now resting on her stomach, over the child they'd created together. Jason's arms were wrapped protectively around the woman he'd shared so much with already; the woman he knew he'd share his life with.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I like purple flying monkeys!!! And I am queen of the world! And… and… and, I own nothing, really…

--Chapter Nine--

--Quartermaine Mansion--

Lulu was seriously contemplating pinching herself right about now. Dillon hadn't gone off on some long-winded rant, Tracy had shut up, and Luke- though he looked ready to kill Dillon- hadn't sent her upstairs and locked her in a room, never to be let out again. Edward was cooing over Laurie, who was still resting peacefully in her mother's arms. They had all taken seats around the room, with Dillon sitting beside Lulu, and Luke on her other side. Tracy was in her favorite chair a few feet away- the way she held herself when sitting in that chair always reminded Lulu of a queen holding court.

"May I hold the little dear?" Edward questioned, his voice gentle so as not to disturb or frighten the infant.

Lulu grinned her patented Spencer grin at the memory of how that "little dear" could scream loudly enough to wake the dead when she so desired. "I'm sure she'd love that, Edward, but I think Laurie's daddy should get to hold her first, don't you?" she asked. The Quartermaine patriarch gave a nearly imperceptible nod and she looked over at Dillon, a nervous smile playing over her lips. She still couldn't believe that, even after everything they'd gone through and how mad she knew he must have been when he'd seen that she'd had their baby and kept Laurie a secret, he'd still declared his love for her- not just to her, but in front of Edward and Tracy and Luke.

Dillon smiled reassuringly- he could tell that Lulu was scared that she was going to wake up and somehow this would all be a dream or something like that. It was written all over her face- which, he reasoned, was probably one of the reasons he hadn't screamed at her for keeping their daughter a secret from him. He saw the fear in her eyes- fear that he'd want nothing to do with her and the baby, fear that he'd try to take Lauren away from her, fear that he'd hate her- it was all there. And it broke his heart to see that fear there, clouding her eyes- and the second she'd mentioned bed-rest, it was like nothing else mattered. Not her walking away, not the fact that she hadn't called, or that everyone who loved her had worried about her constantly for months. All he'd been able to think at that moment was that things could have gone really bad- something could have happened to Lulu, something could have happened to their daughter. He could have lost both of them and Lulu would have never known that he loved her.

He carefully reached for his daughter, taking her into his arms for the first time. She was so perfect, he thought. She had his eyes- hazel, and he was sure they'd change from green to brown to blue with her moods. If she was anything like her mother, her moods would change with the wind, he was sure. She looked like Lulu, though, facially. Her hair- the small patch that was there- wasn't really blond, as he'd originally noted, but more a strawberry blond, and he figured her hair would probably eventually turn red, a characteristic she'd no doubt inherited from Tracy.

He counted her fingers, pleased to find all ten little digits in place. He would have counted her toes, too, but she had on these tiny little lavender socks with butterflies embroidered around the top, and a pair of white baby shoes that would fit in the palm of his hand. Lulu had dressed her in a miniature velour outfit- lavender pants and jacket that matched the socks and a white bodysuit with purple butterflies along the neck. He wanted to memorize everything about that moment, he thought, as a fist tightened around his heart. "Hi there, Lauren Delilah Spencer-Quartermaine," he said, adding Quartermaine to the name Lulu had used earlier- he knew that she hadn't done it herself out of fright, not because she was trying to deny him that right- and saw Lulu's smile change from one laced with nervousness to the all-out Lulu-smirk he'd fallen in love with out of the corner of his eye. "I'm your daddy," he whispered softly to the little girl staring at him so intently.

Tears slid noiselessly from Lulu's eyes as she watched Dillon and Laurie. She was sorry now that she had ever left, that she hadn't followed through any of the billion or so times she'd picked up the phone and just called Dillon and told him, but she knew wishing she could change it wouldn't make that happen- she'd left, she hadn't called, and now she was back- with Laurie. She would have to live with that- the fact that Dillon had missed everything she'd been through with her pregnancy, and the birth of his daughter, and the first month of Laurie's life. There was still so much ahead of them- so many things that he would be there for, and she'd just have to focus on those things, instead- and so would everyone else.

Distantly, Lulu heard the phone ring- she wasn't sure that Dillon did, he was so wrapped up in Laurie, which made Lulu smile. Laurie, it was clear, already had her daddy wrapped around her little finger. She didn't really think anything of the caller, though, assuming that it was someone for Edward or Tracy- or even Luke, maybe Dillon- so she was, to say the least, surprised, when Alice came in and announced, "Miss Lulu, your cousin is on the phone for you."

Her cousin? Carly, of course, was the first thing that entered her mind- but why would Carly be calling? How could Carly even know that she was back? Maybe someone at the airport had recognized her and called Carly, she rationalized.

Dillon saw Lulu's confusion and, looking up from Laurie- who now had her little hand wrapped around one of his fingers- said in the same soft tone he'd used with her earlier, "Carly's been calling everyday, asking if we've heard from you- or anything about you. She's been worried," he added, feeling no need to add that the rest of them had been, too, because he knew that Lulu could see the unspoken words in his eyes.

She was shocked by his statement- she and Carly had gotten close, sure, but she hadn't expected that she would call on a daily basis to see if she'd shown back up. She accepted the cordless phone from Alice and calmly greeted her cousin- a woman Lulu thought had been more like a big sister to her than a cousin. "Hello, Carly."

"Oh, my God! Lulu! You're home! When did you get home? Where have you been? Are you okay? Why did you leave like that? You could have come to me if you needed-" Carly, who was standing at the concierge's desk at the hotel she and Jax owned, rapidly questioned her cousin, intending to ask all of the hundred or so questions that had entered her mind the instant she'd heard Lulu's voice on the other end of the line.

"Carly, slow down- I can only answer one question at a time," Lulu replied with a slight chuckle. "Now, let's see… Yes, I'm home- that much is obvious since you called the Quartermaines' and Alice handed me the phone. I got into Port Charles about two hours ago and to the mansion a little less than an hour ago. I've been in England- and yes, I am fine. I left because I was scared and confused, and I know I could have gone to you, but I needed to be alone," she answered the questions in the order in which they had been put to her.

"You've been home almost an hour and no one told you that I've been worried sick? No one told you to call me? Why didn't they tell you? Damn Luke, anyway," Carly muttered.

Lulu wasn't the least bit surprised that her cousin had automatically blamed Luke for not giving her the information, but she quickly interrupted, trying to set the record straight. "It wasn't Dad's fault- I caught them by surprise," she defended to Carly, "and not just by showing up so unexpectedly- see, I didn't even call them until I was already on my way here from the airport. And, then I showed up, and they all flipped- I had some serious explaining to do, as I'm sure you can guess."

Carly took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, glad that Lulu- whom she had determined some time ago was just a younger version of herself, a thought which managed to make Carly so proud and yet, at the same time, frightened her beyond words- was safe and back in Port Charles. "Alright, yes, I'm sure you had some serious explaining to do- I can forgive the fact that my worry was put on the back-burner- just this once," she added, feeling her heart-rate return to normal once again.

"I'm sure my dad will appreciate that," Lulu joked, thankful that Carly seemed to be calming down. "Although, I think he's still in a state of shock."

Carly gave a wry laugh at the understatement- her little cousin seemed to have a knack for that. "I'm sure- his daughter just returned after an eight-month absence!"

There was a brief silence on the other end, and Carly could practically picture Lulu biting her lip- a nervous habit the teen had. "Well, that and the fact that I didn't show up alone," Lulu told Carly, nervous about her cousin's reaction- she valued Carly's opinion and wanted Carly to be happy for her.

"You didn't show up _alone_? What does that mean?" Carly asked, thinking that Lulu had brought back a guy or something- she could just imagine Luke's reaction to that. Not to mention Dillon's- the poor boy had been heartbroken when Lulu had disappeared, though it had taken him some time to figure out why, exactly. She was ripped away from her musings when Lulu spoke again, this time her words were spoken a little more slowly, as though she really wanted them to sink in.

"I didn't have the abortion, Carly." The words surprised Carly to the point where she had to grip the edge of the counter so she wouldn't fall to the ground in a less-than-graceless heap.

When she finally found her voice again, Carly declared, "You sure are racking up the surprises today, aren't you, Lulu? How did Luke and Dillon take it?"

Lulu laughed as she pictured Luke and Dillon hitting the floor after she'd introduced Dillon to his daughter. "Well, I managed to introduce Dillon to his daughter before Dad and Dillon fainted." The comment earned her glares from both the men.

Carly, too, laughed happily as the image fluttered through her mind. "Daughter, hm?"

"Yup- Lauren Delilah Spencer-Quartermaine," Lulu said, noting the look of pleasure and pride that crossed Dillon's features at the name. "Laurie for short," she added.

"Aw, how cute! When do I get to meet her? I bet-" Carly literally bit her tongue as she watched a petite brunette make her way up to the desk, a smile that could only be described as malicious pasted on the woman's face. Carly, forgetting that Lulu was on the other end of the line, felt the anger coursing through her veins as she glared at her nemesis. "What the hell are you doing here, Brenda?" she growled.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **GH belongs to a whole bunch of people that aren't me…

**A/N: **Ick, the flu sucks- sorry I haven't written anything in a bit… Here's the next chapter of my little drama; this piece is about Robin contemplating her choices and the decision she has to make; the next chapter will be what's going on at the same time with Brenda and Carly…

--Chapter Ten--

--MetroCourt Hotel--

Carly, it seemed, had not noticed Robin yet- for which Robin swore she would be eternally grateful. So, she hid in a corner- far enough away to be out of the range of whatever hell was about to break loose, but close enough that Brenda could see that she hadn't ditched her. She needed a few moments to herself… just a few minutes to think about the last two hours- and, really, the last ten years.

The ride from GH to the hotel had been filled with Brenda's incessant chattering- not something Robin would have minded, had it not been for the fact that the one-sided conversation had centered around herself and Patrick and Brenda's opinions on why her best friend was so scared. She'd heard the phrase "your parents," and both Stone's and Jason's names had been tossed out there, along with, "HIV," but, essentially, Robin had been trying to ignore the seemingly never-ending stream of words spilling off Brenda's lips. She didn't want to think about her relationship with Patrick, didn't want to evaluate her own feelings- she knew she loved him. She knew he loved her. It didn't change things, though, not in her mind- her parents loved her, but look how much they had hurt her. Stone had loved her and he'd left her- she didn't want to be angry at him for that, but some little corner of her heart hurt because that's what it felt like he'd done. It felt like he had abandoned her- she couldn't help but think what might have happened if he had gotten tested sooner, if they'd just caught the HIV a little sooner, maybe… Maybe he would still be here.

And Jason… She'd loved Jason- he'd been her rock when she'd lost Stone, when she'd been handling her own HIV status. But had she ever really been _in _love with him? Probably not, she thought with a sad sigh. She'd wanted to be- wanted to prove to herself that Stone was not the only man she would ever love like that, but she hadn't been able to, no matter how hard she tried. Her heart hadn't been able to let go of Stone. So, she'd run- not the typical run-for-the-hills-exit, either- she'd done something she had known Jason wouldn't be able to forgive. She had told AJ the truth- she still maintained that AJ had had the right to know Michael was his son, but there had to have been a better way to do handle that. She'd flashed back to when she'd met her dad- she'd never thought AJ would do the things he'd done to Michael and Carly. She'd really been trying to help- to do the right thing… but she'd known that it would make Jason hate her. She'd told AJ knowing that Jason wouldn't want anything to do with her after that- it had been just the excuse she had needed to break away from him before they hurt each other- she couldn't love him the way he wanted, the way he needed, and he… he wasn't Stone.

For ten years, she'd managed to avoid love. She'd rarely gone on dates- there had been a grand total of two, and neither had ended well at all- instead deciding to burry herself in her research. She couldn't think of any friends that she'd had in Paris; her colleagues had been nothing more than people she worked with. There were no parties, no late-night movies, no girl-talk. She'd preferred it that way. And then she'd gotten the call- a call that had ended up changing her life.

She could still hear her friend and mentor's voice, uncharacteristic panic making Dr. Alan Quartermaine's voice softer and, yet, edgier than almost any other time he'd ever spoken to her. She'd known instantly that something was terribly, terribly wrong back home in Port Charles.

--FLASHBACK--

_"Robin?" Hearing Dr. Alan Quartermaine's voice on the other end of the line so clearly- as though he were just across the room and not across an ocean- was a pleasant surprise for Robin, but it was laced with a panic Robin had rarely heard from this man._

_"Alan, what is it? Is it Maxie?" her ever-logical mind instantly picked out her teenage cousin as the most probable reason for the phone call, given the young girl's heart condition. _

_"No, no, but… Robin, Jason's been in an accident…"_

_Robin could hear Alan's voice as he continued to explain the situation, but her mind refused to absorb the information being given. She caught sporadic bits of what she was being told- Jason was, thank goodness, alive, but he had been suffering seizures and headaches- and he had no memory of his life up to that point._

_Fear wrapped itself around her heart like a fist, and she felt as though her stomach had been tied and twisted into a thousand knots, and found herself transported to the day so many years before when she'd last heard those words, "Jason has no memory of his life before waking up in that hospital bed." He'd been her classmate, her friend. In the end, Jason Quartermaine had been lost, dead in the eyes of the citizens of Port Charles. In his place was Jason Morgan, a man searching to find his place. Ten years later, Jason had more than found where he belonged- the last she'd heard, he was happily involved in a relationship, he had Carly and Sonny and the boys… He was happy. What would happen if Jason Morgan suffered the same fate as Jason Quartermaine and was once again…lost? _

_She told Alan she would be in Port Charles as soon as possible, and sunk to the floor of the lab she'd been working in, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face in her hands as tears poured like rain from her eyes and dripped down her face. _

--END FLASHBACK--

And so she'd returned, her mission to save Jason Morgan. When her own research had failed, when the drug she'd helped developed **(A/N: I'm pretty sure Robin helped develop it, but I could be wrong… just go with it, okay?)** hadn't worked, she'd tracked down world-renowned brain surgeon, Dr. Noah Drake- and he, in turn, had led her to his son. Dr. Patrick Drake's arrogance and skirt-chasing ways had irritated her from the start, but his brilliance had amazed her. She had to admit, too, that he'd challenged her in a way no one else had in a long time- he kept her on her toes and made working at the hospital with him more than interesting.

During the epidemic, when she'd woken up to find him sitting beside her bed, waiting hopefully- though, he would never admit it, she was sure- for her to open her eyes- that was when things had changed for her. Sure, at some point between when they had first met and that moment, they'd developed something resembling a friendship- but right then, when she'd seen the uncensored fear that she wouldn't ever be exchanging playful banter with him again gleaming in his eyes, she'd known she was a goner. She'd tried, she really had, to fight it. She'd pushed him and pushed him, trying to get him to go away- to leave her now as opposed to later when she was totally in love with him. She'd been stupid enough, or delusional enough, to think that she could stop the fall. But Patrick had pushed back just as hard, refusing to leave. She knew he was just as scared as she was; she knew that he was willing to take the risk of being hurt.

Watching as Brenda and Carly exchanged insults, she realized she had a choice to make: leave and get hurt now- break her heart and Patrick's and never get the second shot at love she'd longed for since Stone's death, or take the chance- believe that Patrick would never intentionally hurt her, never walk away without a fight, never abandon her unless he had no choice, even if it meant getting hurt later. Was the pain that would come with losing him later- if that happened- be worth whatever memories they created now? Did the love outweigh the potential heartache? She wasn't sure…


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Blah, blah, blah…

**A/N: **Sorry it's been so long since I have written- one sister got married, another sister's having a baby- in all the excitement, along with work and school, writing got pushed aside- much to my dismay.

Anyway, I know I said this was going to be a Carly/Brenda fight- I'm working on that chapter- but I'm just not in the mood to write a fight right now… So, this is what came out instead- since you guys keep telling me you like the Liason family interaction, I figure you'll probably like this!

Oh, by the way- I've had a few comments on the whole "Beth" thing so, let me explain my reasoning behind it- I know that Jason has never called Elizabeth "Beth" on the show, but I figured he's not really the type of person to call his girlfriend "sweetheart" or "honey" or anything even remotely cutesy- he tends to shorten names instead and "Lizzie" wouldn't work because it would be a reminder of the bad-girl Liz had been when she first came to Port Charles and, her relationship with Lucky when they were teenagers, etc. So, I came up with "Beth."

Also, I don't know what the heck Sonny's middle name is but, for the sake of this story, his name is Michael Alejandro Corinthos, okay? Just go with it, people. ;-)

R & R!!!

--Chapter Eleven--

--Jason and Elizabeth's Penthouse--

Jason and Elizabeth were snuggled together on their bed, Jason with his back against the headboard and Liz half-laying on top of him, her head resting on his chest. For the past few minutes, they had been discussing baby names- they had decided that they wanted to name their child after people they cared about to honor their friends and family but, so far, they hadn't actually come up with any names. Elizabeth's eyes held a thoughtful gleam as images of people she considered to be important in her life flashed through her mind. Images of Jason's closest friends- namely Carly and Sonny- and the few family members he was close to popped-up, too. Jason's eyes were closed, his head back, as he thought of what name he and Elizabeth could give their child. As they both pondered the many prospects, one name kept pestering Elizabeth- she had no problem with the first name that had entered her mind. It was the middle name it had linked itself with that she disliked… But the more she thought about it, the more right it seemed. Finally, after long moments of silence, signaling to her that Jason was either asleep or still contemplating names, she spoke up with her suggestion.

"If it's a girl…" she began hesitantly, unable to believe that she was really about to do this but knowing the significance of her idea. Jason's eyes opened as he waited for Elizabeth to speak, wondering what name she'd come up with. It took her a couple of seconds to get the words out, giving Jason enough time to conclude that she was nervous for some reason about the name. "If it's a girl," she said again, this time a little more confidently, "I'd like to name her Madeline- after mine and Patrick's mom," she told Jason. "I think Patrick and Dad would be okay with that." She didn't know when she'd started calling Noah "Dad" but it just seemed to come naturally. "I never got to know her, but they both speak highly of her, and something tells me that she would be happy about it," she said with a watery smile. "And… I was thinking, if we give the baby a first name that honors somebody significant in my life, then his or her middle name should be the name of someone you're close to- or visa versa, however this works out- and so, I was thinking about the women you're closest to and… How about Caroline for her middle name?"

Jason's jaw literally dropped- he was speechless. Granted, silence wasn't an uncommon reaction for him, but this… He was stunned. And touched beyond words- Elizabeth and Carly were by no means each other's favorite people, but Carly was his best friend and Elizabeth had taken that into account just now. He nodded his agreement before speaking- he was having difficulty getting words past the lump that had formed in his throat. "I would like that," he whispered, thinking that _this_ was why he loved Elizabeth- regardless of how she felt about Carly, she recognized the other woman's importance in his life and wouldn't make him choose between his love for her and his friendship with Carly. "Madeline Caroline Webber-Morgan," he said, unsure about the baby's surname- he and Elizabeth had yet to discuss marriage, though he knew it was a topic that would come up. He wanted to marry her and adopt Cam and raise him and this baby- and any other children they had- together. He didn't want to overwhelm her, though- it wasn't good for the baby, for starters, but he couldn't stand seeing her frazzled anyway. Planning a wedding- on top of the excitement of finding out that she was Noah's daughter and Patrick's sister and that she was pregnant… it might be a little much for her.

The use of her last name, Webber, made Elizabeth cringe. Her eyes locked with Jason's as she spoke, her words much clearer than they had been a few moments ago. "First of all- I'm not a Webber. I haven't been for a lot of years- the only Webber I have any connection to is Grams, who I am sure will love me no matter what because that's just how she is- she's always loved me, no matter what stupid stunt I pulled. Noah Drake is my father and Maddie Drake was my mother- I'm a Drake." The stubborn tone with which she spoke caused the corners of Jason's mouth to tip up slightly. "As for this baby- it's a Morgan, plain and simple." She added a nod, to make sure he knew that she was serious. "If we have a daughter, her name will be Madeline Caroline Morgan."

Jason's slight grin turned into a genuine smile when he heard the name- Madeline Caroline Morgan. He leaned forward and brushed a tender kiss over Elizabeth's mouth, once again thanking God for bringing her into his life, and silently thanking Elizabeth for being too stubborn to give up on him. He hugged her tightly to him, letting the moment wash over him and imbed itself into his memory. He never wanted to forget how he felt at this moment, holding Elizabeth in his arms. Long minutes later, he softly spoke, breaking the silence but not the cocoon of happiness and contentment that had settled around them. "Sonny's full name is Michael Alejandro Corinthos," Jason informed her softly, "I'd like to name our son after him, if we have a boy- I know I named Michael after him, but…" He didn't know how to explain what he wanted to say- he loved Michael, he always would, but Michael was _Sonny's_ son, not his, not AJ's- Sonny's. Jason wanted to name their son after the man he considered his brother. Elizabeth nodded her understanding and waited for Jason to continue- it had already occurred to her that Jason would probably want to name a boy after Sonny. "I was thinking… maybe Alexander? Alexander Drake Morgan," he declared, and it was Elizabeth's turn to feel emotion choke her.

"Alexander Drake Morgan," she whispered to herself. "I think that name would be perfect for our son," she told Jason, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Jason brushed her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, as he had done so many times in the past, and placed feather-light kisses on first one cheek and then the other. He pressed a kiss to her forehead- another oh-so familiar action- before placing a finger under her chin, urging her to tilt her face upward so his lips could claim hers. The world around them disappeared once more as love wrapped itself around them, bundling them securely and reminding them once again that they would make it through any storm they were caught in. The thought briefly crossed Jason's mind that, just over ten years ago, he'd been a man without anything- no memory, no friends, no family. Now, he was a man with everything.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GH or any characters associated with them- nor do I own anything else you recognize… Heck, technically, I don't even own these words- each specific word, that is- I do however own my thoughts (most days) and the sequence in which you see these words…

**A/N: **Another update! LOL… So, I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but Jax didn't go traipsing after Jerry in Africa- however, he and Carly did post-pone their wedding, just in case Jerry really got himself into trouble and Jax _had_ to leave- they also decided that they should try just living together before they got married.

--Chapter Twelve--

--Metro Court--

"What the hell are you doing here, Brenda?" Carly growled. To say the beautiful blonde was completely pissed would be an understatement- there was certainly no love lost between Carly Corinthos and Brenda Barrett, and everyone in Port Charles, New York, was well aware of just how much the two hated each other. Though it had been years since Brenda had dared to show her face in the town, Carly wasn't entirely surprised to see her- the witch just couldn't seem to stay away. Carly knew that, soon, she would have her little nails dug into both Sonny and Jax and she hated that. She hated that Brenda was important to them- she would never understand what they, or anyone else, saw in her.

Of course, the feeling was mutual- Brenda became nauseated at the thought of being in the same room as Carly, let alone in the same category- which is exactly what had happened with Jax and Sonny. The two men had long ago decided that both Carly and Brenda were of equal importance to them- it was one of the few things they had ever agreed upon.

"What's it look like I'm doing here?" Brenda retorted, her tone just as menacing as Carly's. "I believe I have a reservation," she told the frustrated-looking blond. Actually, frustrated really wasn't the word, Brenda thought with a smirk. Carly looked like she wanted to leap over the reservations desk and engage in a catfight- which, Brenda had to admit, definitely had merit. She could certainly use the entertainment it was sure to bring her, and she'd love to kick Carly's butt.

Carly's face reddened significantly and she threw her head back and laughed- not a happy-to-see-you-again or a this-is-the-funniest-thing-I've-ever-heard laugh, either. Nope, this one could only be described as purely evil. Cackling- that was it. She was cackling like the wicked witch of the west or Cinderella's evil step-mother. Both were roles Brenda had always easily associated with Carly. "There is no way in hell you are staying in _my_ hotel, you little-"  
Brenda snickered, highly amused by Carly's little rant. She wasn't at all surprised that Carly was trying to refuse her reservations. She cut her nemesis off with a laugh. "Do you really think Jax would appreciate it if you through me out, Carly?" Okay, so maybe using Jax was a little low- but Brenda just loved the way Carly's face contorted in fury when her fiancé's name was brought up.

If ever in her life Carly had heard "fighting" words, those were them- there was no way she was going to let Brenda Barrett- little miss "I'm a gorgeous super-model who can have any man she wants, including your ex-husband and fiancé, and you know it"- use Jax against her. It was bad enough she had to put up with St. Robin because of Jax's friendship with the little twit- not to mention Sonny's _and_ Jason's, she thought with an irritated huff- she wasn't going to take attitude from the princess here. "I'm Jax's fiancé- he'll respect my wishes."

Carly inwardly winced at those words- of all the things she could have said, _should have said_, that was probably high on the list of "Words That Will Only Get Carly Into Trouble," but at this particular point in time, she couldn't bring herself to care- and there was certainly no way she was going to apologize to Brenda, of all people, just to avoid a fight with Jax.

Brenda's eyes flooded with anger and the only thought in her mind was something akin to the shouting on _Jerry Springer_. "Puh-leaze," she stressed each syllable of the word for dramatic emphasis- because, really, let's face it, she _is_ Brenda Barrett and "Dramatic" really should be her middle name. "Up until like a year ago, Jax hated your guts- how you got him to turn a blind eye to your numerous flaws, namely your selfishness and the fact that you'll lie about anything if it'll get you what you want, is beyond me, but it doesn't really matter. You'll slip-up in this little act of yours, and he'll see you for what you really are- a selfish, lying bitch who's not above using _anything_ she has to in order to get what she wants," she retorted with a sneer.

Unable to contain her anger a second longer- after all, she'd never been known for holding back when it came to her emotions, or backing down from a fight- Carly reached over the counter and slapped Brenda across the face. The sound of skin hitting skin seemed to echo throughout the surprisingly empty lobby of the hotel, momentarily shocking Brenda.

At the sound, Robin's head snapped up- her attention had, at last, been gained. With a heavy sigh, regretting the fact that she was about to step in to _break_ the fight up- she couldn't believe it, but she didn't want Jax or Jason mad at her for letting Brenda and Carly rip into one another- she stepped out from behind the pillar she'd sought as a place of peace to collect her thoughts.

At the same moment, Carly stepped from behind the counter and Brenda, acting purely on impulse and driven by adrenaline, angrily whipped her own hand across Carly's face. In the time it took to blink, the two were consumed in an all-out catfight, harshly pulling at one another's hair, pinching skin tightly with their long and perfectly manicured finger nails, and kicking furiously- unable to maintain their balance on their high-heeled shoes, the pair stumbled into the seating area, disrupting the coffee table that had been placed there, and tipping over a chair as they tried to catapult each other into it.

Hearing the grunts of pain and screams of anger, Jax rushed into the lobby, expecting to see someone hurt or even dying. Instead, he found a flurry of blond and brunette hair and limbs attacking from every angle. Immediately, he recognized Carly and, sparing a glance at Robin, he was glad to note that his long-time friend and his fiancé had not finally come to blows, as he and many other Port Charles citizens had been expecting for months. Some semblance of peace remained between the bitter enemies, at least. With that thought, he turned his attention back to Carly and wondered just who had pushed her too far today- it was a rather large list but, when he caught sight of the petite brunette's face for a spit second as the fight continued to rage on and both he and Robin continued to go unnoticed, Jax found himself rooted to the floor in shock. _Brenda._

"As much as it pains me to say this, shouldn't we break them up?" Robin asked, albeit a little hesitantly- she was, after all, always in the mood to see Carly get what was coming to her.

Jax, who had been so lost in his stupor, had not even realized his long-time friend had sidled up beside him and was now standing right next to him. "I suppose we should, yes," he replied, unable to hide the hint of amusement that snuck into his voice- he hated when Carly got into fights, especially with people he cared for, but he had long ago come to the conclusion that Brenda and Carly were just destined to be enemies. Seeing as both were rather passionate and tended to act on impulse, it was inevitable that fights between them would ensue, and he had gotten used to seeing them like this.

He sighed and shook his head, taking a step toward the fighting women and reaching into the tangle of arms and legs, not really caring at that point _who_ he grabbed, so much as the fact that he separated them. In the end, after getting smacked, kicked, and even punched several times himself, he successfully grabbed hold of Carly's waist and drug her away from a wild-looking Brenda. "Would somebody," he began slowly, carefully eyeing the three women standing before him, "care to tell me what's going on here?" The tone of his voice and the steely looks he shot each of them told them that, though he phrased it as a request, it was anything but.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I have like twenty bucks in my checking account- is that enough to buy GH???

**A/N: **So, I decided that I have been neglecting Lulu and Dillon- the whole Quartermaine family, really, so I thought I'd go back to them for a chapter… A moment of contemplation and realization for the dysfunctional Quartermaine/Spencer clan… Very, well, sugary, I guess.

--Chapter Thirteen--

--Quartermaine Mansion--

Lulu chuckled softly as she hung up the phone- she'd heard enough after Carly had dropped her phone to know that Brenda was back in town. And, while Lulu had never really known Brenda, she did know that the woman was one of her cousin's worst enemies. Not that that was saying much- Carly, she thought with a bemused smirk, had a lot of enemies… most of them of the female persuasion. As she placed the cordless phone on the coffee table in front of her, she glanced at Dillon, who had reluctantly passed their daughter to the family patriarch.

Luke, taking a moment to take in the scene before him, thought over the past several months and the countless emotions he'd felt- terror, fright, helplessness, panic, worry, and the list went on. But when he'd seen his little Lulu- his little girl- look down at the baby now cooing happily in her great-grandfather's arms, all of that had gone out the window and, for a moment, he'd seen Laura, holding Lulu for the first time. He'd had one hell of a lecture for her planned for months now, but when he'd seen that look in her eyes- the look that said she would give anything just to see her child smile, to have her safe, and that she loved her and would always be there for her- he'd forgotten the words to that well-planned lecture. In that moment he'd realized something- he'd realized that, despite the countless times he was sure he'd failed Lulu, let her down, disappointed her; despite everything she'd been through in her short life, with losing Laura and the whole mess with Dillon last summer… His daughter had over-come those things. She'd survived and turned out alright- she was a happy young woman with a daughter she loved- not to mention a bright-looking future with Young Spielberg. Her mother would be so proud. _He_ was proud.

Meanwhile, much like her husband, Tracy had become lost in her own thoughts- Lulu and Dillon would get married, she knew. When and where- well, those things she didn't know, but she did know that they would, at some point in time- probably sometime not too far around the corner- end up married. The love they had for each other and the child they had created together- the child she'd watched her son mourn for months- was written plainly on their faces for all the world to see. Tracy thought about Georgie, and how the girl had been Dillon's first love. Not that she'd ever particularly cared for Georgie, but she had been a good first serious girlfriend for Dillon- theirs had been a sweet and innocent love, but a love that had never really been meant to last. Whereas with Lulu… There was fire and passion, sweetness and tenderness- and strong enough to withstand whatever might come their way. If ever Tracy- or anyone else, for that matter- had doubted that (and many, herself included, certainly had), the last hour or so had erased those doubts. Lulu was so much like her father- and Dillon was more like Tracy than her son would ever realize or admit. Tracy turned her pensive gaze to her rouge of a husband- yes, Dillon and Lulu's love would last… And so would the love that Luke and Tracy had somehow accidentally fallen into…

Edward, who was gently rocking his already beloved great-granddaughter in his arms, could think only of his dear Lila, and how much he wished she could have lived to see that moment. He was certain she would be bursting with pride over the fact that little Lulu had named the baby after her- and Laura, naturally. Oh, but Lila had always loved Laura so. The two women had adored one another and, it was the old man's hope that, wherever Laura's mind had taken her, she Lila had found a way to comfort her old friend. Not many would dare to call Edward Quartermaine sentimental- certainly, there weren't many people who had ever seen the man's gentler side- but when it came to his Lila… He had so many regrets- not spending enough time with Lila and their children, not being the father or husband his family had deserved… but as he looked at the precious little child in his arms- a child who would link the Quartermaines to the _Spencers_ of all people forever- he was absolutely certain that things had, somehow, turned out alright- perhaps more than "alright." He placed a tender kiss on the baby's tiny forehead and softly whispered his hopes for his great-granddaughter. "May you always know love and happiness- if you're going to take a page out of anyone's book, little one, on how to act and how to love, let it be out of Lila's- you're great-grandmother was the glue that held this family together, and her love for each of us and her dreams for the future have kept us going in her absence." This little angel, Edward knew, would grow up knowing love- Lulu and Dillon would take care of that. Lulu- the daughter of a man he hated… Dillon- his own grandson… Laura Delilah Spencer-Quartermaine, he thought, had united them forever- like Lila had been, this child was now the glue that would hold their family together… And, for an old man who knew his time would come one day soon, that thought brought a sense of peace and contentment.

Just a few hours ago, Dillon had been mourning the loss of a child he'd thought he would never know and wondering if he'd ever see the woman he'd somehow fallen in love with ever again. Now, he found his gaze traveling the room- resting first on Lulu herself. Lesley Lou Spencer- when he'd fallen in love with her, he wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. At first, she'd been his irritating and rebellious step-sister. Then she'd been his lost and vulnerable friend. Somewhere along the line… she'd become the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. His gaze traveled next to Luke, Lulu's father. A man who had disappeared more times than Dillon really cared to count and let his daughter down so many times- yet, somehow, Lulu still loved him. Whether Luke ever realized it or not, all Lulu had ever wanted wasn't Laura- it was him. She wanted her father's love. And, after this past summer, Dillon didn't doubt that she had it- the man who'd sworn up and down so many times that he had never been meant to be a father had become the dad Lulu had always wanted- always needed. Things for the two of them, Dillon knew, would be okay- rocky at times, as both were ridiculously stubborn, but they would work their differences out. And Lulu would always know that she could count on her dad. Next, his eyes turned to rest on his mother- another complex relationship. He and his mother had never been particularly close, and he wasn't sure they ever would be- but he no longer questioned that she really did love him and his brother Ned- she just had her own uniquely Quartermaine way of showing it. And Edward… The stodgy patriarch of what Dillon swore had to be the most screwed-up family in Port Charles- a man seen as being cold-hearted and aloof… The man his baby daughter had already wrapped around her little finger. Edward had shaped this family, along with Lila, and while it may be dysfunctional to say the least, it was filled with love and loyalty- not that many of its members would ever dare to admit it, for fear of showing their vulnerability. Finally, his eyes stopped on his daughter, whose eyes were glued adoringly to her great-grandfather's face as she listened intently to whatever Edward was whispering to her, as though she could actually understand the words coming out of his mouth. Laurie- there were no words to describe the love Dillon felt for her. He would go to the ends of the earth for her. He knew he would do anything to see her happy and safe- do anything to keep her from ever thinking, as her mother had, that she had not been wanted.

Lulu's thoughts, like those around her, had taken a trip down Memory Lane and moved toward the future, as she thought about all she had been through with her family and friends over the years and all she was likely to go through still. She thought about how lost and alone she had felt for so much of her life, and remembered the numerous moments she'd found her favorite wishing star in the sky and wished to find a place to call "home" one day. She had never, with all her wishing and in all her dreams, thought that "home" would turn out to be this place- with her father and the step-monster, whom she had grudgingly come to love, Edward and the rest of the Quartermaine nuts- even Alice. But most of all, Dillon- wherever Dillon and Laurie were, from now on, that would be her home- but she knew she would always have a family to turn to- Quartermaine, Spencer, and Cassadine. It never ceased to amaze her what love could do- her love for her brothers, and theirs for her, had brought the Cassadines and the Spencers together. And, while money may have initially brought Luke and Tracy together, and lies spun out of love had brought Dillon and Lulu together at first, what had resulted meant more than money or the lies that had been told or the pain that had been caused- a family had been created and a home had been found.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **La-de-da- I still don't own it!!!!

**A/N: **My computer, FF, or something decided not to let me upload this yesterday, so here you go!!! The DINNER will be in the chapter after the next one, for all of you interested in seeing how THAT plays out, LOL… Read and REVIEW, please!!!

--Chapter Fourteen--

--Audrey's House--

Since Elizabeth was off that day- a rarity, to be sure- and Jason had an "appointment" with Sonny, she had decided to venture of to Gram's house with Cam and share all the wonderful bits of news she'd gotten in the past few days. Despite the fact that the rest of the Webbers- excluding, Steven, whom she'd made peace with, of course- had pretty much disowned her and wanted nothing to do with her, Elizabeth found that she was only a fraction as nervous as she'd expected to be. With everything she and her gram had been through, Elizabeth was fairly certain her grandmother would remain an ever-present force in her life.

She rang the doorbell and waited for her grandmother to pull the door open. When she did, Audrey had a huge smile on her face- she was always happy to see Elizabeth and Cam. "Elizabeth, dear! What a surprise! Come in!" She stepped back to allow her granddaughter and great-grandson entry into her home and bent to greet Cam. "Hello, Cameron!" she exclaimed, delighted to see the little boy- she had always loved children, but she thought Cam was especially darling.

The little boy, presently sitting in his stroller looking around the familiar living room and noticing several of his toys, looked up adoringly at the great-grandmother he loved so much. "Gwam!" Because, like most kids his age, he was still having trouble with that pesky "r," he garbled the name just a little but the lopsided grin and the enthusiasm with which he greeted her, melted Audrey's already soft heart and she couldn't help but chuckle.

Cam lifted his arms, signaling that he wanted out of the stroller, and waited for his grandmother to comply- he knew she would gladly lift him out and let him play. Unbuckling him, Audrey gathered him into her arms and hugged him tightly, placing a kiss on his curly mop of hair when he wrapped his arms around her neck and returned the hug, before setting him down and allowing him to play with the toys she kept for him.

"He's growing like a weed, Elizabeth!" Audrey told her granddaughter with a smile. She could still remember the troubled young teen who had first appeared on her doorstep so many years ago. There had been moments when, over the past decade or so, she'd wondered if Elizabeth would ever get over those issues she'd come with- and the many that had presented themselves over the years. She'd wondered if her grandchild would find the happiness she deserved, and if she would be strong enough to survive some of the nightmares she'd gone through. It never ceased to put a smile on her face when she saw Elizabeth these days- the granddaughter she'd grown so close to over the years was all grown up, and had made all of the dreams Audrey had had for her come true.

Elizabeth chuckled lightly at the comment- it was one she'd heard time and time again through-out her life, in reference to Steven or Sarah or herself, and was one she found herself hearing more and more lately when people saw Cam. It was true- like any toddler, he was growing quickly, and it seemed like he'd been born just yesterday and would be a teenager tomorrow- at least, that's how it felt to Elizabeth.

"Would you like some tea or something, dear? I just made a pot," Audrey suggested, already heading toward the kitchen to pour Elizabeth a cup of tea. Liz shook her head at her grandmother's back- her Gram and her tea… Some things never changed. In the years since she'd first come to live with Audrey, her grandmother had changed very little- she was so refined and proper, but caring and open.

Elizabeth took a seat on the couch, watching her son play with a truck that was just about as big as he was while she waited for Gram to return. When Audrey stepped back into the living room, it was with two cups of tea, and Elizabeth knew Gram had already made hers exactly the way she liked it.

When her grandmother had seated herself on the other side of the sofa, Elizabeth blurted out, "Gram, would you still love me if I wasn't a Webber?" It wasn't how she'd planned to start the conversation, but it was one of the key-points. She wanted- needed, really, she admitted to herself- to know that her grandmother would always be exactly that- her grandmother. After everything the two of them had been through, the idea that Audrey could leave her as Jeff, Amanda, and Sarah had… well, it broke her heart.

Audrey gasped audibly, taken aback by the strange question. She had no clue what was going on, but she could practically see the wheels spinning in her granddaughter's mind, and she immediately sought to mend the hurt she heard in Elizabeth's voice. "Of course, I would! What kind of question is that? You're my granddaughter, Elizabeth!"

"But what if I wasn't? What if Jeff and Amanda weren't my parents?" Elizabeth questioned, her tone solemn and for a moment, she felt like the lost teenage girl she'd been when she'd shown up in Port Charles.

The idea that Elizabeth might not be Jeff and Amanda's daughter only slightly surprised Audrey- it wasn't that she'd ever really suspected that there had been anything as drastic as a baby-swap at the hospital so many years ago, but that Jeff and Amanda had always favored Steven and Sarah, and Elizabeth had always been so left out, and so unlike all the rest of her family. "Elizabeth, dear," she said, taking hold of her granddaughter's hand, "let me explain something to you- regardless of who your parents may or may not be, you are my granddaughter. That term is not one that requires a blood-link, so much as love for another person. I have watched you grow up- you did, for all intent and purpose, grow up in this very house, darling! And I love you- if I want to be your grandmother, then I will be- whether you are a Webber or not."

The tone in which Audrey spoke- that, I-said-so-now-that's-the-end-of-it tone- had one corner of Elizabeth's mouth quirking upward in a small smile. She reached across the couch and hugged her grandmother, knowing in her heart that everything Audrey had just said was exactly right- love was the most important part of family. She saw that everyday with Jason and Cam, and she was so grateful that Audrey saw things that way. Of course, it shouldn't have surprised her- Audrey had been the one to teach her to be open to such things, to let others in, and how precious love is, after all- but her stomach had tied itself in knots as she'd thought about how her Gram could react.

"Oh, Elizabeth," Audrey whispered, knowing that the young woman she loved so much had been so terrified of her reaction- she was sure this all had something to do with why Jeff and Amanda had cut all ties with Elizabeth years ago, and silently berated them both for being so cruel to her dear Elizabeth. When they separated, she said in the same gentle tone she'd used so many times with Elizabeth over the years, "Now, tell me, dear- what is this all about?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and found that the butterflies that had been flittering around in her stomach were gone, and a sense of calm and peace had settled over her. She was once more the confident young nurse, the caring mother- not the rebellious and unloved daughter. "Sarah was in town yesterday- she told me why Jeff and Amanda wanted nothing to do with me and Cam," she told her grandmother, watching the emotions play on the kind-hearted woman's face. "Their daughter and another couple's were switched, and their real daughter died shortly after. When Jeff and Amanda found out, they sent me here. They didn't want anything to do with me."

Audrey shook her head- how anyone could be so heartless was beyond her. "I'm sure, knowing Jeff and Amanda as I do, that they found out who had ended up with their daughter instead. Have you contacted your biological family yet?"

A wide grin broke out on Elizabeth's face as she remembered Patrick and Noah's reactions. "I have."

Deducing from the smile on her granddaughter's face that the conversation had gone well, Audrey prodded a bit more. "And…?"

"And I was born Isabel Elizabeth Drake, daughter of Madeline and Noah Drake." Elizabeth watched as her words sunk in, and Audrey's mouth made its way into forming a smile. Clearly, her grandmother was happy with the news.

"Noah Drake, hm? That would make Patrick your brother, now wouldn't it?" She chuckled as she remembered the times she'd caught Elizabeth stubbornly sticking her tongue out at Patrick or Patrick harmlessly teasing her. "Yes, I can see that," the elderly woman said, happy that Elizabeth's real father was someone who had already grown to love her and would never abandon her as Jeff and Amanda had. "How did they take that news?" she asked, despite the fact that she was certain she knew the answer.

"They were shocked, at first, when I mentioned the baby they'd thought had died- they had no idea how I knew about her. Then, when I told them, there were tears and smiles- but neither one of them seemed really surprised that it was me… It's like, yes, they were surprised the baby had been switched with another, and that she'd lived, but, that it was me? That part… it was like it just fit. I told you months ago that Patrick had "adopted" me as his little sister, and he's always been exactly the kind of big brother I always wanted, you know? We tease each other and comfort each other and… we're just… brother and sister. It's amazing- when we were growing up, I always felt like I was living life in Steven's shadow- and, even though Patrick is a brilliant surgeon with a huge ego, he doesn't make me feel like I have to live up to some insane standards. I can just be me, and he and Dad love me.

"And, with Dad… Well, look at me- I'm already calling him "Dad." Of course, I've been jokingly calling him that since Patrick "adopted" me, but still… It's just so much easier being a part of their family than it ever was with the Webbers."

Audrey nodded her understanding, noting the excitement with which Elizabeth spoke. Whenever Elizabeth was reminded that she was a Webber, a look of sadness and longing passed over her face, as though she wished she belonged in any other family. When she spoke of Noah and Patrick and being a part of their family, a glint of pure joy came into her eyes. Audrey knew in that moment that the glimpses she'd caught over the years- including just a few moments ago- of the troubled teen that Elizabeth had once been would never be seen again. Before her was not an unwanted or unloved young girl who always felt like she was lacking in the eyes of her family or that she had to be someone else's idea of the perfect daughter- in her place was a confident young woman who knew she was loved, not only by her boyfriend and son, but by her grandmother, her father, and her older brother. This was a young woman who had finally found her place in the world- a mother, a nurse, a lover, a friend, a sister, a daughter… A Drake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **Have I, in the course of the nine or so days it's been since I last wrote an entry for this story, acquired insane amounts of money and bought GH? Nope…

**A/N: **This chapter has been a total pain- I knew what I wanted to write, but getting the words from my mind to the computer… Not so easy… Anyway, after some serious writer's block, here at last is chapter fifteen of my little story… I hope you like it, even though it's sort of short- of course, all of my chapters are sort of short, but I can't help it! I just start writing when my muse tells me to and stop when it says to!

--Chapter Fifteen--

--The Pier--

As she'd half-expected- okay, more than half-expected, really, but she was in denial, so she chose to overlook the fact that she'd seen this coming a mile away- Patrick had asked her to join the Drake family, which had grown exponentially in the past twenty-four hours, for dinner at the Metro Court tonight. She wanted to say yes, she really did, but if she did… Well, she'd be taking that leap of faith; promising both Patrick and herself without words that she was willing to take the chance, willing to take the risk of having her heart broken once again. Was she ready to do that? Would she ever be ready to do that?

Robin sighed as she stared off into the fathomless depths of the water before her- this place had always been a source of comfort for her, a place she knew she could always come to, no matter what state her thoughts were in, and work things out. She could lose herself in the tranquility of the water's movements and allow her thoughts to find some sort of order in her mind- just the way she liked it. Whether she was hurt or excited or scared, her emotions tended to sort themselves out while she sat on the bench and just stared off into nothingness.

She wished that she could just ignore it- that she could convince herself she was making too much of this whole dinner thing, but she knew she wasn't. Patrick was telling her- without really telling her- that he wanted her to be a part of his family, a permanent part of his life. And, if she went, she would be telling him that's what she wanted, too. Really, she did want it- but the fear of being hurt again… It seemed to be choking her.

When Stone had died, she'd tried to imagine her life without him. What scared her was that she'd been able to- she hadn't wanted to think about going on without him, about living the life they should have shared alone. But she'd been able to do it. She'd seen herself living. Though she'd never quite returned to the way she'd been with Stone, she'd been able to survive. When she'd been with Jason, she'd wanted to see herself with him- back then, she'd desperately wanted to know that she could open up again. Now, it terrified her- of course, a lot had happened since then, and she'd added more stones to the walls protecting her fragile heart.

It didn't take her long to realize what she had to do- she'd known, in the back of her mind, the question she needed to ask herself. Could she see her life without Patrick? Could she picture herself living in a world where he wasn't a part of her life? She leaned back against the bench, closing her eyes and trying to conjure up an image of what her future might look like.

The first thing she saw was a little girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes- for a moment, she thought maybe she was remembering something from her own childhood- and then she saw the little boy. A miniature version of Patrick, that's what he was- right down to the cocky little grin on his face. The two children were chasing each other around her uncle Mac's backyard, smiling and laughing merrily as they ran around and around in circles, calling out after one another. On the deck sat older versions of Mac, Georgie, Maxie, her parents- bickering with one another as usual, Noah, herself- and Patrick. Patrick had an arm slung around her shoulder as he engaged in some conversation with her uncle and both their fathers. She, on the other hand, had a hand resting on his knee as she laughed as her mother told a story- probably about some adventure she'd taken, Robin thought.

It occurred to her that _that_- the happy family she'd long ago given up home of ever having- was what she wanted… Patrick had given that dream back to her- could they make it a reality? She knew, without a doubt, that they could- if she just took that leap. If she just allowed the walls around her heart to crumble and had faith that their love would be enough, even if one or both of them ended up getting hurt at some point down the road.

As she opened her eyes and stared out at the water once again, she realized that it was too late to back out now- she'd get hurt much worse if she left now, if she kept herself and Patrick from living that life she wanted so much and walked away from the second chance at love she'd been dreaming about since Stone's death so many years ago. She couldn't do that. She couldn't walk away.

Slowly, she stood up and started walking- she didn't have a plan, didn't have a destination in mind. She just walked. Eventually, she found herself standing outside Patrick's apartment- briefly, she wondered if she'd meant to end up there all along, the whole time she'd been strolling around Port Charles. It didn't matter- she was there. How she'd gotten there, whether she'd thought about it or not… She was there. She pulled the key Patrick had given her from her pocket- usually, she knocked, not wanting to take the step that using the key somehow symbolized in her mind, but she was ready- she was ready to admit to him that she wanted more. She wanted forever. All along she'd told him she wanted a commitment- but those had just been words and, ironically, a way for her to at least attempt to push him away. After all, they should have scared him away- he had never wanted a commitment, never wanted to leave himself vulnerable to the hurt his father had experienced when his mother had died.

Shaking her head, she slowly entered the apartment. Patrick was sitting on the sofa with the television on, but his eyes were focused on some point beyond it and he was lost in thought. He was holding a beer, but she could see that he had barely touched it. She swung the door closed- a little more loudly than was necessary in an attempt to gain his attention. When his gaze swung from the wall to her, she knew she'd accomplished her goal.

His eyes held a glint of fear- something she'd rarely seen in the arrogant doctor's gaze- and he opened his mouth to speak, probably to try once again to get her to see that they did have a chance, if she'd just allow it, but she held her hand up to stop the flow of words and quietly but firmly- without hesitation or fear- said, "I'll go."

Never, in either of their lives, had two words been more important to them- not even when they'd told each other they loved one another, because that had been something they'd both known all along, though that moment certainly came close to this one. This… This was a promise- not a promise that Robin would try to make their relationship work or try to let her guard down; not a promise that Patrick would try just as hard and stop being afraid he was going to become his father. This was a promise that they would make it- because neither one of them could see their life without the other in it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **Yada, yada, yada….

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the delay, guys- family emergency. Sorry. Anyway, this is the last chapter, so I hope you all enjoy!

--Chapter Sixteen--

--Metro Court--

Noah, Patrick, and Robin stepped out of the elevator car and into the Metro Court Hotel's dining room, three pairs of eyes immediately scanning the room for their dinner companions. It wasn't difficult to spot Jason, Liz, Cam, and Audrey- the group had pushed two tables together to accommodate their large dinner party. Though none of them said anything, the trio was quite happy to see that Audrey had decided to join them- her presence meant that she wasn't going to leave Elizabeth's life, a fact they were all grateful for on Liz's behalf.

As her father, brother, and friend neared, Elizabeth stood, pulling Jason up with her. Jason took Cam out of his high chair, holding him with one arm while holding Elizabeth's hand with his free one. Audrey took her place beside Liz and held her granddaughter's other hand as they watched the rest of their family approach. Smiles a mile wide were pasted on everyone's faces- young Cameron's included, though mostly because he was just happy to see new friends- and the group all exchanged hugs. When Patrick and Noah got to Audrey, they each whispered their thanks that she had been there for Elizabeth the past decade and would continue to be.

As they all took their seats around the two combined tables, Carly stepped into the room- not surprising since she did _own _the place- and realization dawned on Elizabeth that though people gathered around her were her family, they weren't her only family- Carly, along with Jax- who had joined Carly along with Michael and Morgan- were a part of that family because of Jason. As much as she disliked Carly, she had to admit that the stubborn blond did have her good points- chief amongst them was the fact that she loved her boys more than anything, something Elizabeth could understand because she felt the same way about Cam and her unborn child.

Carly, Jax, and the boys wandered over to one of the free tables, about to settle in for a nice family dinner. Elizabeth leaned closer to Patrick and Noah and whispered something to them that Jason wasn't able to hear- which, he figured, was probably a good thing. Father and son nodded, surprisingly proud smiles on their faces, and Elizabeth stood and walked over to the table Carly and family had settled at.

A genuine smile, unlike any she'd ever given Carly before, graced her face as she spoke, her words sincere and pleasant. "Would you all like to join us for dinner?" Her eyes locked on Carly's as she expected the blond to answer.

"It seems to be a family dinner," Jax replied hesitantly- he'd heard that Elizabeth was Noah Drake's daughter and could honestly say he was happy for the other man. He'd heard enough of the rest of the tale to know that it was truly a happy ending for the Drake family. However, he had no clue what had made Elizabeth wander over to their table.

The brunette nurse shrugged and leveled a look at Carly. "You're family to Jason- which makes you family to me," she said. Her words stunned nearly everyone in the nearly-empty dining room- except Noah and Patrick because she had asked them if they would mind if she invited Carly and company to join them. Jason, who until that moment had been watching his girlfriend and best friend with apprehension, felt his chest swell with pride. He knew Elizabeth and Carly would never be best friends and that was alright- what mattered was that Liz was making it clear that she had accepted Carly's place in Jason's life, in _their_ life.

Shock registered clearly on Carly's face, and several seconds passed in silence as she waited for the punch line. When it became clear to her that Elizabeth was serious, she couldn't help the feeling of respect for the woman before her that she was hit with- _Maybe_, she thought, _Jason's finally found himself a keeper after all. Maybe Little Miss Perfect here is actually worthy of him. _Shaking herself out of her reverie, she nodded, accepting Elizabeth's offer.

Though he was stunned by his fiancé's response, Jax had to admit he was pleased with the idea of Carly calling a truce with the woman her best friend was obviously in love with. He stood and, along with an equally surprised Jason, added a third table to the two that had already been joined together.

Before they had all managed to take their seats again, a bickering Sonny and Brenda stepped out of the elevator car. Noah gave a dramatic sigh as he stood up from his seat, having noticed as his daughter's bemused glance flickered between the arguing pair and himself and Patrick, silently asking her question once again- his family just seemed to keep growing, he thought with an amused grin.

Noah motioned for Sonny to grab one side a nearby table and, though the mobster quirked a curious eyebrow, he and Noah together moved the table so that it joined the other three.

Carly, unable to keep the disdain from her tone, asked no one in particular, "Alright, I get the whole Sonny being family thing, but Brenda? Really?"

Not surprisingly, it was Elizabeth that answered in a tone similar to the one she used with her son when trying to explain something. "Brenda is family to Robin," she told Carly, deciding it was better not to bring up the fact that Brenda was also important to both Jason and Sonny.

"And Robin is family?" This time, Carly's tone was just curious, and she resigned herself to the knowledge that an era had come to an end- though she didn't like that she was now supposed to consider both Robin and Brenda family, as she had been accepted by Elizabeth who seemed to be welcoming all of Port Charles into the folds of her newly formed family, she accepted her fate because Elizabeth was not going to try to force Jason into picking between them and seemed to really love her best friend and want him to be happy.

"She is," Elizabeth told Carly as casually as if she were stating the weather conditions outside as she eyed her brother and his girlfriend. Patrick gave her his signature smirk and Robin- though she visibly cringed at the idea being related to Carly in any way- accepted it just as Carly had for Jason, Sonny, and Jax's sake. Everyone knew that there would still be fights- they were, after all, well aware of the easily sparked tempers the women around them were more than well-known for- but some level of peace had been reached.

Just as a waitress came to take their drink orders, Elizabeth burst out laughing, drawing inquisitive glances from everyone around her. The now hysterical brunette simply pointed at a very confused Quartermaine/Spencer clan. Gathered in the elevator were Edward, Luke, Tracy, Alice, Dillon, Lulu, and a baby none of the large group seated at the extended table recognized, though Carly figured it had to be Laurie from her conversation with Lulu earlier.

Everyone around her was now laughing as two more tables were added to accommodate the group. Not entirely sure what was going on, Luke shot his gaze to his former daughter-in-law, his eyes filled with confusion and silently asking what was going on. The answer he got- from Liz, Carly, Robin, and Brenda in unison, nonetheless- was not the one he had expected, though he wasn't entirely sure _what_ that was to begin with.

"You're family." The answer, coming from those four women who all said it so simply as though it explained everything, made Edward, Alice, and Tracy frown in confusion; Dillon and Lulu gape in shock- after all, Brenda, Liz, Carly, and Robin had just agreed on something; and Luke throw back his head and howl with laughter.

The unlikely quartet had never uttered truer words, he mused, as they all took their seats- dysfunctional though it was, this group was family… Not only were several of them biologically related, but ties of friendship and love bonded all of them together somehow.

As Carly and Brenda hurled insults at each other, Edward and Tracy grumbled about having to eat with a couple of mobsters, Robin and Patrick teased each other, Lulu and Dillon made silly faces at Laurie, Liz and Jason smiled contentedly at one another; Morgan and Michael played with Cam; and Sonny, Jax, and Alice all sat back and wondered what alternate universe they'd stepped into, Luke shared a knowing smile with Bobbie and Noah- this crazy group, along with a few other missing people who'd been roped into working and weren't there at the moment, was their family- people they'd fought with, cried with, laughed with, and loved with over the years; people they would continue to do all of those things with in the years to come.

_There's no place like home; nothing like the love of family. _The thought echoed through the minds of every adult at the table, all of them fully aware of the significance of the evening's events.


End file.
